I 


R  I  A  l-'iAK  A  ,  I'1  U  ( >.YI 


THE 


NORTHERN   TRAVELLER; 

CONTAINING   THE   ROUTES  TO 

THE    SPRINGS,    NIAGARA,    QUEBEC, 

AND 

THE   COAL   MINES; 


THE    TOUR    OF    NEW-ENGLAttD, 


A   BRIEF    GUIDE   TO   THE   VIRGINIA   SPRINGS,   AND   SOUTHERN   AND 
WESTERN    ROUTES. 


BY  THEODORE  DWIGHT,  JR. 


SIXTH    EDITION. 
WITH  EIGHTEEN  MAPS,  AND  NINE  LANDSCAPES. 


JOHN   P.    HAVEN, 

BOOKSELLER,  PUBLISHER,  AND  STATIONER, 
199  Broadway. 

',»'  :    1S41. 


Entered  accor cling  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1841,  by 

JOHN  P.  HAVEN, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  Southern  District  of  New- York. 


£158 


PREFACE. 


This  Sixth  Edition  of  the  Northern  Traveller  is  pub 
lished  when  the  previous  editions  have  been  for  some  time 
out  of  print;  so  that  it  seemed  to  be  urgently  demanded. 
The  work  has  undergone  a  most  thorough  revision,  as  the 
numerous  and  important  changes  in  the  country  required. 

The  traveller  will  find  in  it  a  larger  amount  of  informa 
tion  than  at  any  former  period,  as  the  matter  has  been 
much  condensed,  almost  every  page  has  received  some  ad 
dition  or  abridgement,  and  large  portions  have  been  writ 
ten  anew.  Perfect  accuracy  is  hardly  to  be  expected  in  a 
work  comprising  such  a  number  and  variety  of  details, 
many  of  which  are  of  a  changeable  nature:  but  exertions 
have  been  made  to  render  it  accurate,  as  well  as  replete 
with  information  and  suggestions  best  adapted  to  the 
convenience,  gratification  and  improvement  of  the  mass 
of  intelligent  travellers. 

Notices  of  places  or  objects  appropriate  to  the  sphere 
of  this  work,  transmitted  by  persons  in  any  part  of  the 
country,  will  be  attended  to  in  future  editions  of  the 


IV  PREFACE. 

Northern  Traveller ;  as  the  author  has  resumed  his  origi 
nal  intention,  formed  after  travelling  abroad,  of  furnishing 
a  Guide  Book  for  the  principal  routes  in  his  own  country, 
keeping  pace  with  the  progress  of  society  and  public  inv* 
provements. 


Drawn  i or  t 

KX    /'/.'.// '/i' 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


City  of  New  York 7 

Route  up  the  Hudson,  .....       13 

"      to  Niagara, 32 

Routes  to  Ohio,  &c 67,221 

Route  from  Albany  to  the  Springs,          .          .          31,  74 

"      to  Lake  George, 88 

"       to  Canada, 104 

Tour  of  New  England 141 

Route  up  Connecticut  River,  ....     145 

"      from  New  York  to  Boston,  .         .         .     166 

"         "     Boston  to  the  White  Mountains,  .     186 

"         "     Boston  to  Maine 203 

Philadelphia,        .......     223 

Route  to  the  Pennsylvania  Coal  Mines,  .          •    227 

Baltimore, 220 

Washington,  .          .          .          .          .          .          .215 

Route  to  the  Virginia  Springs 239 

Routes  from  New-Orleans  to  New-York,       .         .     241 


VIEWS  FJlOM  NATURE. 

P&GS 

1.  Frontispiece,  View  of  Niagara  from  below 
Table  Rock. 

2.  Scenery  on  Mohawk  River,  facing  page         .         35 

3.  Ballston  Springs 

4.  Saratoga  Springs  ,_.«.«.< 

5.  Lake  George        <«'«...         90 

6.  Ruins  of  Ticonderoga  from  the  east        .          •        100 

7.  The  same  from  Mount  Independence     ^          .        104 

8.  Southerly  view  from  Mount  Holyoke  «        156 

9.  The  Notch  House,  White  Mountains  105 

MAPS 
Of  the  Roads,  Canals,  Railroads,  8fC. 

PAGE 

General  Map  of  the  Routes  in  the  Northern  States,         5 
No.    1.    Hudson  River^   from    the  mouth  to   Croton 

River,  .  .       14 

No.  2.  "  "        to  Kingston  .  .       16 

No.  3.  "  "        to  Albany  .       21 

No.  4.  Mohawk    River  to  Utica,  with  a  "Profile  of 

the  Erie  Canal  .       32 

No.  5.  "  "        to  Syracuse  .  .       32 

No.  6.  Thence  to  Cayuga  Lake     .  .  .44 

No.  7.  Thence  to  Canandnigua       .  «  .45 

No.  8.  Thence  to  Rochester  and  Batavia    .  .       46 

No.  9.  Thence  to  Niagara  .  .  .  .48 

No.  10.  Buffalo  and  its   vicinity,   with  a  Profile  of 

the  Welland  Canal  .  .  .62 

No  11.   To    Glenn's   Falls,    with  Saratoga   Springs 

and  Battle  Ground,  Schenectady  and  Pro* 

file  of  the  Champlain  Canal  .  .        30 

No.  12.  Lake  George  .  .  .  .88 

No.  13.  Do.  Northern  part  and  Lake  Champlain      .       98 

No.  14.  Lake  Champlain,  northern  part       .  <     108 

No.  15.  St.  John's,  Montreal,  &c.    .  «  ,110 

No.  16.  Montreal  Island       .  .  .  .118 

Connecticut  River,  lower  part          .  .  .145 


THE 
NORTHERN  TRAVELLER, 


THE  CITY  OF  NEW- YORK. 

Remarks? to  the  Traveller  at  New-York. 

It  is  recommended  to  such  travellers  as  have  not  formed' 
a  plan  for  their  journeys,  to  turn  to  the  general  map  of 
the  routes,  page  1.  He  may  go  to  Boston  by  the  Provi 
dence  steamboats  and  railroad,  or  by  the  Stonington 
steamboats  and  railroad  through  Providence,  or  by  the 
Norwich  steamboat  and  railroad  through  Worcester,  or  by 
the  New-Haven  steamboat,  the  railroad  to  Hartford, 
and  stagecoach  to  Worcester,  or  steamboat  or  stagecoach  to' 
Springfield  railroad.  Those  who  wish  to  see  Connecti 
cut  river  may  take  a  steamboat  to  Hartford.  For  Al 
bany,  take  a  steamboat.  Before  1842,  a  railroad  is  ex 
pected  to  be  in  use  from  Bridgeport,  Con.  to  Albany, 
when  that  route  may  be  preferred  by  some.  A  steam 
boat  goes  to  Bridgeport. 

For  Philadelphia,  take  the  railroad  line  from  Jersey 
city  by  crossing  the  Hudson  from  Barclay-street. 

Other  rail-roads  are  to  be  made :  one  from  South  Brook 
lyn  to  Greenport,  east  end  of  Long  Island,  to  cross  to  the 
Boston  railroads.  The  Harlem  railroad  is  to  be  ex-f 
tended  to  Albany,  140  miles. 

The  proposed  route  of  a  railroad  from  New- York  to* 
Albany,  (147  3-4  miles,)  runs  through  Westchester  coun 
ty,  Putnam,  Dutchess  and  Columbia  counties  to  Green- 
bush  opposite  Albany,  and  on  to  Troy.  It  passes  along 
the  valleys  of  the  Bronx,  Croton,  Ten  m.  r.  Ancram, 
.  Cline,  and  a  branch  of  Kinderhook.  It  is  nearly  straight,. 

2 


8  THE    CITY    OT    FEXV-TOUIC. 

except  where  it  approaches  Hudson,  and  is  from  15  te» 
25  miles  east  of  the  river.  This  route  avoids  the  High 
lands,  except  at  a  point  where  they  are  only  7G9  feet 
above  tide :  that  is,  50  miles  northeast  of  West  Point. 
Maximum  graile  30  feet,  and  locomotives  can  pass  at  12' 
miles-  an  hour. 

The  stranger  is  advised  to  purchase  a  pocket  map  of 
New-York  and  other  cities  as  he  visits  them. 

The  principal  objects  worthy  of  attention  will  be  here 
mentioned  in  order,  as  they  present  themselves  to  a  per 
son  proceeding  north  from  the  southern  point  of  the  city. 

The  Battery,  perhaps  the  finest  public  walk  in  the 
Union,  is  the  favourite  retreat  in  warm  weather.  It  is  ex 
posed  to  the  sea  breeze,  and  affords  an  agreeable  shade,, 
and  a  view  of  the  inner  harbour,  with  part  of  Long  Island, 
on  the  left,  Governor's  Island  with  its  fort  and  castle, 
the  Narrows,  and  Staten  Island  below,  Bedlow's  and  Gib 
bet  Islands,  and  New-Jersey  beyond  them,  with  Jersey 
City  arid  Hoboken  village.  Castle  Garden  is  a  place  of 
refreshment,  formed  of  a  fort,  where  music  and  fireworks 
are  often  provided  in  warm  evenings.  A  fort  was  built 
on  the  Battery  in  1623,  which  included  all  the  houses. 
It  was  afterwards  enlarged. 

Southeast  of  the  Battery  is  Whitehall  Slip,  where  are 
the  steam-boat  ferries  for  Staten  Island  (12  cents,)  and 
South  Brooklyn,  (4  cents.)  Washington  and  Greenwich- 
streets  begin  at  northwest  corner,  extending  about  two 
miles  north  There  are  the  steamboats  of  the  Philadelphia 
railroad  line,  and  those  for  Providence. 

Broadway  begins  at  the  Bowling  Green,  an  oval  piece 
of  ground,  140  feet  by  220.  Here  are  the  Atlantic  and 
Adelphi  Hotels,  and  many  hotels  and  fashionable  board 
ing  houses  above.  Grace  Church,  on  the  left,  stands  on 
the  corner  of  Rector-street,  which  leads  to  the  Havre 
packets.  Trinity  Church  is  rebuilding.  Wall-street  is 
opposite,  and  has  most  of  the  banks  and  brokers'  offices. 
The  new  U.  S.  Custom-house,  corner  of  Nassau-street,  is 
of  white  marble,  89  feet  by  177,  on  the  model  of  the  Par 
thenon  of  Athens,  with  two  facades  with  Doric  columnSj 
32  feet  high,  a  central  hall,  and  a  dome  62  feet  in  diame 
ter.  It  will  cost  half  a  million. 

The  Ne\p-York  Exchange,  entirely  of   Quincy  Sie- 


THE    CITY   OF    NEW-YORK. 

Mite,  three  stories  high,  and  a  basement,  covers  a  block> 
between  four  streets,  and  is  197  feet  7  inches  on  Wall- 
street,  144  on  one  side,  and  170  on  the  other,  with  a 
large  dome  above,  100  feet  high.  This  covers  the  circu 
lar  exchange  room,  95  feet  high,  and  80  in  diameter.  In 
front  is  a  row  of  12  Ionic  columns,  with  6  more  at  the 
door.  The  shafts  are  single  stones,  32  feet  8  inches  long, 
and  from  4  feet  to  4  feet  4  inches  in  diameter  at  the  base, 
those  on  the  wings  weighing  about  33  tons,  and  the 
others  35.  Each  cost  about  $5,000.  The  building,  which 
is  nearly  complete,  contains  Mr.  Gilpin's  News  Room 
and  Packet  Office,  several  insurance  and  other  offices. 
The  Telegraph  is  to  be  kept  on  the  top  to  communicate 
with  that  on  Staten  Island.  The  great  fire,  in  1835,  des 
troyed  the  former  Exchange,  but  did  not  cross  Wall- 
street.  It  swept  down  to  Old  Slip. 

Proceeding  up  Broadway,  you  pass  Cedar  and  Court- 
landt-streets,  which  lead  on  the  left  to  some  of  the 
Albany  steam-boats,  and  the  ferry  to  Jersey  City,  6  cents. 
(Thence  the  railroads  lead  to  Newark,  25  cents,  Eli- 
zabethtown,  Rahway  and  New-Brunswick  to  Philadel 
phia;  also  to  Paterson.  Fulton-street  leads  (right)  to 
Fulton  Market,  Brooklyn  Ferry,  (3  cents,)  the  Connecti 
cut  and  Flushing  steamboats,  some  of  the  Liverpool  pac 
kets,  &c. 

At  the  corner  of  Vesey-street  is  St.  Paul's  Church, 
•with  an  epitaph  in  front  to  Gen.  Montgomery,  whose  re 
mains  were  brought  there  from  Quebec  in  1818.  Oppo 
site  is  the  American  Museum  with  four  stories  filled  with 
stuffed  animals,  &c.  Ann-street  leads  to  the  rooms  of 
the  Reformed  Dutch  Church  Missionary  Society,  Episco 
pal  Sabbath  School  Society;  American  Bible  Society  ;  De 
pository  and  Printing  Office  ;  Clinton  Hall,  where  are  the 
Mercantile  Library,  (20,000  vols.)  reading  and  lecture 
room,  and  exhibition  room  of  the  National  Academy  of 
Design ;  American  Tract  Society  ;  American  Sunday  School 
Union  Depository ;  and  American  Board  of  Foreign  Mis 
sions. 

In  Chatham  Row  are  the  Park  Theatre  and  the  Brick 
Church.  The  Park,  (10  3-4  acres,)  contains  the  City 
Hall,  (216  feet  by  105,)  of  white  marble,  and  rear  of  free 
stone,  cost  $538,734,  with  rooms  for  courts,  common 


10  THE    CITY  OF   NEW-YORK. 

council,  mayor,  governor,  &c.  and  several  portraits,  and 
Mechanics'  Institute  in  the  basement.  The  alarm-bell  is 
hung  above,  and  the  cupola  commands  a  general  view  of 
the  city.  The  New  City  Hall  contains  the  American 
Institute  of  Manufactures,  which  holds  a  splendid  fair  and 
exhibition  at  Niblo's  in  September. 

In  Chambers-street  are  the  Savings  Bank,  the  Arcade 
Baths,  and  the  Reservoir  of  the  Manhattan  Company, 
which  supplies  some  of  the  streets  with  water. 

Returning  down  Broadway  to  Park  Place,  we  find  Co 
lumbia  College,  founded  in  1750  a*  King's  College, — 
President  Duer.  Behind  it  is  the  Grammar  School, 
Professor  Anthon.  Above  the  Park,  Duane-street  leads 
on  the  right  to  the  Halls  of  Justice,  the  City  Prison, 
built  of  Sienitc  in  the  Egyptian  style.  Gothic  Hall  is 
near  Pearl-street,  opposite  which  is  the  City  Hospital, 
founded  in  1769.  The  Society  library,  corner  of  Leon 
ard-street,  1754.  Franklin-street  leads  on  the  left  to  the 
Opera  House  and  French  Church,  originally  in  Pine- 
street,  1704. 

(Hudson  Park  is  some  distance  northwest  from  this 
spot,  4  acres,  with  St.  John's  Church,  240  feet.) 

In  White-street,  (right  from  Broadway,)  is  the  City 
Dispensary,  1790,  with  the  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmaries, 
1820.  Canal-street  has  a  sewer  underground,  and  on  the 
right  from  Broadway  are  the  Gas  Light  Company's  works, 
pipes,  26  miles  long,  and  a  Jews'  Synagogue.  There  are 
10  or  11  other  Synagogues,  most  of  them  recently  formed 
by  emigrants  from  Bavaria,  &c.  The  Manhattan  Gas 
Works  are  at  the  foot  of  Eighteenth-street. 

Above  are  the  Circus  and  Tattersalls'  ;  above  Spring- 
street  Niblo's  Garden.  Opposite,  the  New-York  Lyceum 
of  Natural  History  with  a  fine  collection.  The  Stuyve- 
sandt  Institute  is  several  streets  above,  with  the  Library 
X)f  the  Historical  Society.  In  Crosby-street  behind  Nib 
lo's,  are  the  Apprentices'  Library,  1820,  with  20,000  vol 
umes,  the  School  of  the  Mechanics'  Society,  a  Synagogue, 
and  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons. 

Fourth-street  leads  to  Washington  Square,  9  3-4  acres. 

The  New  York  University  fronts  it,  1831,  Chancellor 
Frelinghuysen.  It  has  a  Jarge  grammar  schqp].  The 


TftE   CITY   OF   KKW-YORK.  11 

Presbyterian  Theological  Seminary  is  above,  and  has  the 
library  of  Leander  Van  Ess. 

The  Marble  Cemetery  is  in  Great  Jones-street,  east  of 
Broadway.  The  City  Reservoir  is  in  Thirteenth-street. 
Water  is  raised  by  a  steam  engine  from  a  well  112  feet 
deep,  and  conveyed  to  the  south  in  pipes,  to  extinguish 
fires  without  the  use  of  fire  engines.  The  Croton  Aque 
duct,  45  miles  long,  to  supply  drinkable  water  to  the 
whole  city,  is  partly  made,  and  will  cost  45  millions. 

The  Retreat  for  Juvenile  Delinquents  is  at  the  end  of 
Broadway;  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum,  1817,  Fiftieth- 
street,  near  the  Harlem  railroad,  Mr.  Feet  principal. 
The  Blind  Asylum,  1831,  Sixth  Avenue  near  Thirty-se 
cond  street,  Mr.  Jones.  The  General  Episcopal  Theolo 
gical  Seminary,  1819,  Ninth  Avenue  and  Twenty-first 
street.  The  Lunatic  Hospital  is  six  miles  north.  The 
Almshouseis  on  the  East  river,  and  beyond  is  Blackwell's 
Island,  with  the  Penitentiary  and  Lunatic  Asylum,  and 
the  Poor  House  Farm  opposite,  with  the  School.  The 
Orphan  Asylum,  Half  Orphan  Asylum,  Institution  for 
Aged  Indigent  Females,  and  17  Public  Schools. 

Hudson  river  was  discovered  in  Ifi09,  by  Henry  Hud* 
son.  First  settlement  by  the  Dutch,  near  Albany,  1610, 
to  trade  with  the  Indians  in  furs.  (This  trade  yielded 
above  $50,000  in  1632.)  First  fort  in  New-York  m 
1612,  near  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Garden-street. 
In  1623,  a  large  fort  on  the  Battery,  enclosing  the  village, 
the  island  having  been  purchased.  Captured  by  the  En 
glish  in  1664,  retaken  1673,  restored  1674.  First  post- 
rider  to  Boston,  1673,  going  once  in  three  weeks.  First 
stagecoach  to  Boston,  1723,  once  a  month.  1765  a  Con 
gress  of  delegates  met.  January  1776,  the  American 
army  began  to  assemble  for  the  defence  of  the  city. 
August  26th,  the  Battle  of  Long  Island,  after  which  the 
British  army  occupied  the  city  till  end  of  the  war.  Sep 
tember  21st,  492  houses  burnt.  Evacuated  by  the  Bri 
tish  army  and  entered  by  Washington,  November  25th, 
1783.  All  the  churches  except  one  had  been  burnt  or 
occupied  by  soldiers. 

1785  Congress  met  in  the  old  City  Hall,  whore  the 
new  Custom  House  is.  1789  Washington  inaugurated 
President  there.  Free  School  Society  incorporated  1805. 


12  THE  citY  OF  NEW-YORK. 

The  Great  Fire  December  16,  1835,  loss  about  eighteen 
millions.  The  latitude  of  the  City  Hall  is  40°  42'  40" 
N.  Longitude  74°  1'  8"  W.  from  Greenwich. 

EXCURSIONS.  Numerous  pleasant  excursions  may  be 
made  from  New-York  in  various  directions.  Manhattan 
Island  affords  several  agreeable  rides;  arid  also  Long  Isl 
and  and  the  neighbouring  parts  of  New-Jersey. 

Brooklyn,  on  Long  Island,  opposite  New-York,  is  the 
second  city  for  size  in  the  state,  containing  about  40,000 
inhabitants.  It  enjoys  a  fine  situation,  good  air,  pore  wa^ 
ter,  retirement,  and  shady  streets.  The  stranger  should 
visit  it.  Carriages  will  take  him  from  the  ferries  to  any 
part.  The  view  of  New-York  from  Columbia-street,  on 
the  heights,  is  the  finest  to  be  found. 

The  Lyceum,  Washington-street,  contains  a  fine  lecture- 
room,  the  collection  of  the  Natural  History  Societyf  City 
Library,  and  Savings  Bank.  The  Navy  Yard,  one  mile 
northeast  from  it,  is  worthy  of  a  visit.  There  is  the  Na 
val  Lyceum,  with  a  fine  collection  of  natural  history,  &c. 

Greenwood  Cemetery,  two  miles  south  of  Brooklyn,  i» 
shady  and  picturesque,  with  sylvan  lake,  and  a  fine  view 
from  Mount  Washington.  You  pass  Gowarmis  Cove,  the 
scene  of  most  bloodshed  in  the  battle  of  Long  Island  in 
1776. 

The  Jamaica  railroad  begins  at  the  South  ferry.  Fort 
Hamilton  is  four  miles  south  of  Brooklyn.  Fort  Lafayette 
is  on  a  small  island  below  it.  Opposite  is  Staten  Island, 
commanding  fine  views. 

PRINCE'S  LINN  JEAN  GARDEN  at  Flushing.  The  excur" 
sion  to  this  beautiful  garden  and  nursery  is  very  pleasant. 
The  steamboat  leaves  Fulton-street  slip  at  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  every  day,  and  affords  a  view  of  the 
most  interesting  parts  of  the  East  river,  including  the 
famous  rapids  at  Hell  Gate.  The  village  is  small,  but 
pleasant.  The  garden  of  Mr.  Prince  will  supply  strangers 
of  taste  and  science  with  rare  seeds,  plants,  flowers  and 
trees,  and  has  already  done  much  to  introduce  useful  and 
beautiful  varieties  into  this  country.  It  was  first  esta 
blished  about  the  middle  of  the  last  century. 

The  four  hothouses  contain  about  20,000  plantain  pots  J 
ond  the  garden  covers  about  thirty  acres.  Tlte  species 
uad  varieties  of  trees  and  plants  amount  to  about  8000,* 


THE   HUDSON   RIVKR.  13 

wliich  is  Considered  the  most  numerous  collection  in  Ame 
rica.  The  proprietor  exerts  himself  to  obtain  all  the  na 
tive  productions,  as  well  as  all  interesting  exotics,  and  for1 
specimens  forwarded  to  him  he  offers  to  make  satisfactory 
returns  from  his  own  collection.  Thompson's  History  of 
Long  Island,  and  the  Picture  of  New-York  will  be  inte 
resting  to  traveller's  of  taste. 

BATH,  ROCKAWAY,  and  GKAVESEND,  on  Long  Island, 
and  LONG  BRANCH,  in  New-Jersey,  fine  situations  on  the 
seacoast,  are  among  the  most  attractive  for  bathing,  &c. 

ORANGE  SPRINGS,  near  Newark,  and  SCHOLEY'S 
MOUNTAIN,  are  resorts  during  the  warm  seasons,  particu 
larly  for  visiters  from  New-York.  The  situations  are  very 
pleasant,  in  variegated  tracts  of  country,  and  afford  a  most 
agreeable  retreat,  with  fine  air  and  good  accommodations. 

PASSAGE  UP  THE  HUDSON  RIVER. 

On  leaving  New-York,  the  traveller  finds  himself  in 
the  midst  of  a  fine  and  varied  scene.  The  battery  lies 
behind  him,  with  Governor's  Island  and  Castle  Williams 
projecting  beyond ;  still  more  distant  opens  the  passage 
called  the  Narrows,  with  Staten  Island  on  the  right,  lead 
ing  to  Sandy  Hook  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  which  is  22 
miles  from  the  city.  On  the  west  side  of  the  bay  are 
Bedlow  and  Gibbet  Islands,  with  fortifications »  the  point 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Hudson  is  Powles'  Hook,  on  which 
stands  a  neat  town  in  New-Jersey  called  Jersey  City } 
and  the  village  of  Hoboken  is  seen  a  mile  or  more  up  the 
river.  The  hills  of  Wehawken  appear  beyond:  as  the 
boat  moves  rapidly  on,  it  passes  the  crowded  line  of  build 
ings  in  Washington-street,  the  Episcopal  Seminary,  and, 
at  a  greater  distance,  the  Blind  Institution. 

At  Wehawken,  under  a  ledge  of  rocks  facing  the  river, 
and  about  the  distance  of  three  miles  from  the  city,  is  the 
spot  where  General  Alexander  Hamilton  fell  in  a  duel  with 
Colonel  Burr.  This  was  the  common  duelling  ground  for 
combatants  from  this  city,  and  many  lives  were  afterwards 
lost  on  the  fatal  spot. 

The  PAL  is  ADO  ES — a  remarkable  range  of  precipices 
of  trap  rock,  which  begin  near  this  place,  extend  up  the 
river  on  the  west  side  twenty  milesi  to  Tappan,  and  form 


14  fORT   WASHINGTON. 

n.  singular,  and  in  many  places  an  impassable  boundary* 
In  some  places  an  old  red  sandstone  foundation  is  seen 
below:  but  the  great  mass  of  the  rocks  presents  the  mu 
ral  precipices  of  the  trap  formation,  and  rises  from  thte 
height  of  15  or  20  feet  to  500  or  550.  On  the  opposite  side  id 
Yorkville,  and  the  route  of  the  unfinished  Croton  Aqueduct. 

The  LUNATIC  ASYLUM,  about  seven  miles  from  the  city, 
is  a  large  building  of  hewn  stone,  occupying  a  command 
ing  situation, 

HARLEM  HEIGHTS  are  a  short  distance  further.  They 
form  an  elevated  ridge  across  Manhattan  Island,  on  which 
a  line  of  fortifications  was  thrown  up  during  the  Revolu 
tion  and  the  late  war,  quite  over  to  the  East  river. 

FORT  LEE,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  is  situated  on 
the  brow  of  the  Palisadoes,  more  than  300  feet  above  the 
river.  A  village  of  the  same  name  is  near. 

Fort  Washington  was  a  fortress  on  the  top  of  a  high 
rounded  hill,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  12  miles  from 
New-York.  In  October,  1776,  when  Gen.  Washington 
had  evacuated  the  city,  and,  subsequently  to  the  battle 
of  White  Plains,  (for  which  see  just  beyond,)  had  drawn 
off  his  army  to  Fort  Lee,  Fort  Washington  was  kept  gar 
risoned,  contrary  to  his  advice,  and  was  attacked  in  four 
divisions.  The  Hessians  and  Waldeckers,  under  Gen. 
Knyphausen,  went  up  the  hill  on  the  north  side;  Gen. 
Matthews  on  the  east,  with  the  English  light  infantry  and 
guards,  intended  against  the  intrenchments,  which  reach 
ed  almost  to  the  East  river.  Col.  Sterling  made  a  feint  of 
crossing  that  river  lower  down,  while  Lord  Percy  with  a 
very  strong  corps  was  to  operate  against  the  western  flank. 

The  Hessians  suffered  much  from  the  riflemen  in  pass 
ing  a  swamp,  but  succeeded,  with  the  other  divisions,  in 
driving  the  Americans  into  this  fort,  where  they  all  sur 
rendered,  to  the  number  of  2600  men,  including  militia. 
They  had  lost  very  few  ;  but  the  British  lost  about  800. 

FORT  LEE  was  immediately  evacuated;  but  the  British 
crossed  so  speedily  at  Dobbs's  Ferry,  that  they  took  the 
artillery,  military  stores,  baggage,  and  tents  of  the  Ameri 
can  army. 

BATTLE  OF  WHITE  PLAINS.  In  October,  1776,  soon 
after  the  American  troops  had  evacuated  New-York,  while 
General  Washington  had  his  army  assembled  at  Kings- 


NEW-YORK   TO   ALBANY.  15 

bridge,  and  the  British  were  in  possession  of  the  island  up 
as  far  as  Harlem,  General  Howe  went  up  the  East  river, 
with  an  intention  of  surrounding-  the  Americans.  He  left 
his  German  corps  at  New-Rochelle,  and  marched  for  the 
high  ground  at  White  Plains,  several  miles  east  of  the 
Hudson,  to  seize  the  interior  road  between  the  city  and 
Connecticut. 

Washington  penetrated  his  design,  and  entrenched  him 
self  on  the  west  side  of  the  small  river  Bronx,  with  his 
right  on  Valentine's  hill,  and  his  left  on  White  Plains. 
He  had  garrisons  near  Harlem,  at  Kingsbridge,  and  Fort 
Washington.  Skirmishes  were  kept  up  till  the  British 
approached  very  near ;  when  Washington  assembled  all 
his  troops  in  a  strong  camp  on  the  heights  near  the  plains, 
with  the  Bronx  in  front  and  on  the  right  flank,  and  a 
mountainous  region  in  the  rear.  The  right  was  more  ac 
cessible  ;  and  General  M'DougaJ  was  sent  to  entrench 
himself  on  a  mountain  about  a  mile  in  front. 

On  the  morning  of  October  28th,  the  British  advanced 
in  two  columns :  the  right  led  by  Clinton,  and  the  left  by 
Gen.  Heister.  The  former  took  post  on  the  Mamaroneck 
road,  and  the  latter  on  the  Bronx, — the  armies  being  a  mile 
distant.  Col.  Ralle,  with  a  Hessian  regiment,  fell  upon 
Gen.  M'Dougal  in  flank,  while  Leslie  attacked  him  in  front 
with  a  brigade.  The  militia  soon  fled,  but  the  regular 
troops  resisted  until  overpowered.  Washington,  therefore, 
retired  to  North  Castle ;  and  soon  after,  securing  the  bridge 
over  the  Croton,  and  Peekskill,  crossed  the  Hudson. 

FORT  INDEPENDENCE,  on  the  east  side.  Opposite,  the 
Palisadoes  are  of  still  greater  height. 

DOBB'S  FERRY,  10  miles  farther  Tappan  Bay  is  from 
three  to  five  miles  wide,  eight  or  nine  in  length.  Haver- 
straw  Bay,  still  larger,  lies  just  above. 

Tappan,  25  miles  from  New-York.  Here  Major  An 
dre  was  executed,  after  a  short  imprisonment.  Here 
will  begin  the  New-York  and  Erie  Railroad,  which  is  to 
extend  through  Goshen,  Deposit,  Binghampton,  Owego, 
Ehnira,  Corning,  Hornellsville,  and  Olean,  to  Dunkirk 
on  Lake  Erie,  457  miles.  It  is  thought  that  the  whole 
distance  from  New  York  to  Dunkirk,  by  a  branch  from 
the  Harlem  railroad,  will  be  only  475  miles,  and  that  it 
wjjl  cost  but  $6,000,000.  Two  branches  are  in  operation, 


1*5  STATE    PRISON  AT   SINGS IN<J. 

viz.   the  Ithaca  and  Owego   railroad,  29  miles ;  and  tire 
Corning  and  Blossburg,  Pennsylvania,  railroad,  40  miles. 

TARRYTOWN,  three  and  one  half  miles.  This  is  the 
place  where  Major  Andre  was  stopped,  returning  from 
his  visit  to  Gen.  Arnold,  and  on  his  way  to  the  British 
lines.  The  place  was  then  neutral  ground,  as  the  Ameri 
cans  and  English  lay  encamped  above  and  below.  The 
tree  was  recently  standing  under  which  his  captors  search 
ed  him,  and  the  bank  near  by  concealed  them  from  his 
view  as  he  approached  them. 

The  State  Prison  at  Singsing  is  in  a  quadrangle  of 
nearly  44  by  480ft.  on  the  eastern  shore,  33  miles  from 
New-York.  It  has  a  double  stack  of  cells  built  back  to 
back,  four  tiers  .high  and  200  on  each  tier:  in  all  800. 
Nine  feet  distance  is  the  outer  wall,  which  supports  a 
gallery  running  all  around ;  size  of  the  cells,  three  feet  six 
inches  by  seven  feet,  and  two  feet  door  way.  The  whole 
work  was  done  by  convicts,  and  a  great  part  is  of  hewn, 
stone.  The  system  is  that  of  the  Auburn  prison. 

The  convicts  are  employed  in  quarrying  marble  from 
the  hill,  and  in  other  kinds  of  labour. 

THE  ENTRANCE  of  the  HIGHLANDS,  is  a  short  distance 
beyond  this  place,  and  40  miles  from  New  York  This 
is  a  region  no  less  remarkable  for  the  important  military 
events  of  which  it  has  been  the  theatre,  than  for  the 
grandeur  and  nobleness  of  its  natural  scenery. 

STONY  POINT  The  little  rough  promontory  on  the 
left,  nearly  a  mile  below  the  entrance  of  the  Highlands, 
was  a  fortified  position  during  the  American  war.  The 
British  took  it  from  Gen.  Wayne  in  1778,  but  lost  it  again 
the  same  year. 

VERPLANCK'S  POINT,  on  the  opposite  side,  was  also  the 
site  of  a  fort. 

FORT  MONTGOMERY  AND  FORT  CLINTON, 

five  miles  further,  on  the  west. 

These  forts  were  taken  by  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  on  the 
sixth  of  October,  1777.  His  object  was  to  co-operate 
with  Gen  Burgoyne.  at  that  time  closely  watched  by  Gen. 
Gates  near  Saratoga,  and  to  afford  him  an  opportunity  to 
force  his  way  to  Hudson  river,  by  effecting  a  diversion  in 
bii  favour.  For  this  purpose  Sir  H.  Clinton  had  left  New- 


KEW-YORK  TO   ALBANY.  17 

York  with  3  or  4,000  troops,  embarked  in  the  fleet,  and 
landed  at  Verplanck's  Point.  The  next  morning  a  detach 
ment  was  sent  to  Stony  Point,  and  marched  round  in 
the  rear  of  these  forts,  then  under  the  command  of  Gen. 
Putnam,  and  garrisoned  by  1000  continental  troops,  part 
of  whom  were  unfit  for  duty,  and  a  small  number  of 
militia. 

Gen.  Putnam,  apprised  of  the  landing  made  at  Ver 
planck's  Point,  and  supposing  the  object  of  the  expedition 
to  be  Fort  Independence,  had  crossed  the  river,  and  made 
preparations  to  oppose  them.  He  did  not  discover  their 
real  intentions  until  he  had  heard  the  firing  at  forts  Mont 
gomery  and  Clinton,  which  are  near  each  other,  and  were 
attacked  at  the  same  moment.  The  fighting  began  be 
tween  four  and  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  lasted 
till  dark,  when  the  Americans  having  lost  about  250  men, 
the  forts  were  surrendered  ;  but  all  the  garrison  who  were 
able,  about  450,  effected  their  escape,  with  the  governor 
and  his  brother,  ien.  James  Clinton.  The  British  pro 
ceeded  to  West  Point,  removed  the  chain  which  had  been 
stretched  across  the  river  to  prevent  the  passage  of  their 
ships ;  and  a  part  of  the  fleet,  under  Sir  James  Wallace, 
went  up  to  Kingston,  with  Gen.  Vaughan  and  his  troops. 
Although  they  found  the  village  defenceless,  the  officers 
ordered  it  to  be  burnt,  on  the  13th  of  October.  The  Bri 
tish  proceeded  no  further  than  that  place ;  for  the  news 
of  Burgoyne's  surrender  being  received  a  few  days  after-1- 
wards,  the  fleet  returned  to  New  York. 

ANTHONY'S  NOSE.  This  mountain  (which  has  a  pro- 
file  resembling  the  human  face,)  rises  1228  feet  from  the 
river,  directly  opposite  the  mouth  of  Montgomery  Creek, 
looking  down  upon  forts  Montgomery  and  Clinton.  Be 
hind  the  latter  is  Bloody  Pond,  where  the  bodies  of  those 
were  thrown  who  were  killed  in  the  defence. 

As  the  steamboat  proceeds  up  the  river.  West  Point 
makes  its  appearance  on  the  left  hand,  with  the  ruins  of 
FORT  PUTNAM  elevated  on  a  commanding  eminence,  a  little 
beyond,  598  feet  above  the  water  level.  Tht>  view  it  com 
mands  over  this  wild  and  mountainous  neighbourhood,  as 
well  as  its  connexion  with  our  history,  will  render  it  wor 
thy  of  a  visit.  There  are  still  three  or  four  subterraneous 
rooms  to  be  seen,  and  the  place  is  so  often  visited,  that 


18  NEW-YORK  TO  ALBANY. 

the  path  is  plain,  and  leads  to  most  of  the  principal  objects 
within  it.  This  fortress  commanded  at  once  the  river 
above  and  below  West  Point,  and  the  passage  into  a  defile 
which  opens  through  the  mountains  westward.  That  de 
file  was  farther  defended  by  numerous  little  batteries  and 
redoubts  on  the  peaks  around  it. 

KOSCIUSKO'S  RETREAT  is  near  this  place,  and  the  spot 
is  still  shown  where  he  cultivated  his  little  garden.  A 
monument  erected  to  him,  will  be  seen  on  the  rocks. 

WEST  POINT.  This  was  a  military  position  of  great 
consequence  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  A  battery  was 
erected  on  the  extremity  of  the  point,  just  over  the  river, 
to  command  the  channel,  while  a  strong  iron  chain  was 
stretched  across  from  the  shore  below,  to  the  opposite 
side.  On  the  east  side  of  the  river  is  Cold  Spring, 
behind  it  is  the  West  Point  Foundry.  There  is  a  fine 
hotel  on  the  point. 

THE  MILITARY  ACADEMY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 
is  at  West  Point;  and  a  more  delightful  situation  for 
such  an  institution  could  hardly  have  been  selected.  It  is 
designed  for  the  instruction  of  young  men  destined  for  the 
army ;  and  secondarily  for  maintaining  the  military  science 
of  the  country.  The  Academy  was  established  in  1802, 
by  Gen.  Williams,  and  extends  only  to  the  instruction  of 
Cadets.  The  number  of  pupils  is  confined  to  250  ;  and  in 
choosing  from  the  applicants,  the  sons  of  revolutionary 
officers  are  allowed  the  first  claim,  and  those  children  of 
officers  of  the  last  war  whose  fathers  are  dead,  the  next. 
The  law  prohibits  admission  under  14  years  of  age. 

The  level  on  which  the  buildings  of  this  institution  are 
erected,  is  188  feet  above  the  river,  though  it  has  the  ap 
pearance  of  having  once  formed  a  part  of  its  bed.  The  libra 
ry  consists  of  a  large  and  valuable  collection  of  books,  on 
the  various  branches  of  military  science,  which  have  been 
obtained  with  great  assiduity  and  no  small  expense  from 
Europe. 

The  buildings  belonging  to  the  institution  are  five  ;  all 
large,  and  built  of  stone.  There  are,  besides,  brick  build 
ings  for  the  officers  and  professors  ;  near  the  water,  some 
old  military  store  houses,  which  contain  arms,  &c.  used 
in  the  revolution. 

The  course  of  study  is  completed  in  four  years,  eacb 


WEST   POINT.  19 

being  devoted  to  a  class ;  and  includes  the  French  lan 
guage,  drawing,  natural  and  experimental  philosophy, 
chemistry  and  mineralogy,  geography,  history,  ethics,  and 
national  law,  mathematics  in  the  highest  branches,  and 
lastly,  artillery  and  engineering. 

Study  concludes  each  day  at  four  P.  M.  and  is  suc 
ceeded  by  the  parade,  which  lasts  till  sunset. 

ARNOLD'S  TREACHERY.  In  September,  1780,  while 
the  British  held  possession  of  Hudson  river  up  to  the  bor 
ders  of  the  Highlands,  and  Gen  Arnold  was  in  command 
here,  a  correspondence  was  carried  on  by  him  with  the 
British  officers,  on  the  subject  of  surrendering  his  post 
into  their  hands.  To  bring  their  designs  to  a  conclusion, 
it  was  determined  that  a  meeting  should  be  IHd. 

Andre  was  sent  under  cover  of  the  night  from  the  sloop 
of  war  Vulture,  which  was  then  lying  in  Haverstraw  Bay, 
to  a  place  which  had  been  appointed  for  the  conference. 
A  man  by  the  name  of  Smith  had  been  sent  on  board  by 
Arnold,  under  the  pretence  of  negotiating  about  an  ho 
nourable  treaty  with  Great  Britain ;  and  he  accompanied 
Andre  to  the  foot  of  a  mountain  called  the  Long  Clove, 
on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  Here  they  found  Gen.  Ar 
nold  in  a  dark  grove  of  evergreen  trees,  according  to  ap 
pointment. 

Daylight  put  it  out  of  the  power  of  Major  Andre  to- 
pass  in  safety  the  posts  at  Verplanck's  and  Stony  Points. 
He  was  therefore  obliged  to  retire  to  Smith's  house, 
and  change  his  dress  for  a  disguise. 

Arrest  of  Major  Andre.  General  Arnold  had  fur 
nished  him  with  a  pass  under  the  name  of  John  Anderson  ; 
and  on  the  following  evening  he  set  out  by  land,  accom 
panied  by  Smith  as  a  guide.  They  rode  that  night  to 
McKoy's  after  going  eight  or  nine  miles  ;  and  the  next  he 
spent  at  Pine's  Bridge,  over  Croton  river.  Here  he 
parted  with  Smith,  and  proceeded  alone  six  miles,  when, 
as  he  had  passed  the  American  lines,  and  was  approaching 
those  of  the  British,  he  was  discovered  by  three  men,  who 
were  concealed  from  him  behind  a  bank  ;  arid  one  of  them 
suddenly  stepping  from  under  a  tree  by  the  road  side, 
seized  his  horse  by  the  bridle.  They  found  in  his  boots  a 
description  of  the  works  at  West  Point,  with  returns  of 
3 


20  NEW-YORK     TO   ALBANY. 

all  the    forces   of  the  garrison,  in   the   hand-writing   of 
Arnold. 

This  happened  on  the  23d  of  September.  A  messenger 
was  immediately  SITU  to  General  Washington ;  and,  at 
Andre's  request,  Lieut.  Col.  Jamieson  sent  to  Arnold 
to  inform  him  that  Anderson  was  taken.  The  lat 
ter  messenger  arrived  first;  and  Arnold,  as  soon  as  he 
learned  the  truth,  rushed  down  a  very  steep  bank,  sprang 
into  his  boat,  and  ordered  the  rowers  to  take  him  onboard 
the  Vulture. 

His  Execution.  On  the  29th  of  September  a  board  of 
officers  wa*  appointed  for  the  trial  of  ftfcajor  Andre,  and 
sentenced  him  to  suffer  death  as  a  spy.  Objections  were 
made  to  this  sentence,  on  the  ground  that  Andre  had  been 
introduced  into  the  American  camp  under  the  passport  of 
one  of  our  officers  ;  but  the  delivery  of  Arnold  being  made 
the  condition  of  his  release,  and  that  being  refused  by 
the  British,  he  was  kept  in  prison  until  the  2d  of  October, 
when  he  was  hung  at  the  town  of  Tappan,  where  his  body 
was  afterwards  interred. 

A  few  years  since  the  British  government  sent  to  this 
country  to  obtain  his  remains,  which  were  removed  to 
England,  and  placed  in  the  family  vault  of  the  then  Prince 
Regent.  In  1827,  the  corporation  of  New-York  erected 
a  monument  over  the  grave  of  Paulding,  one  of  his  captors. 

At  leaving  West  Point,  the  traveller  will  observe  several 
remarkably  high  mountains  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  for 
which  he  is  referred  to  the  map.  Putnam's  Rock  waj> 
rolled  from  the  top  of  Butter  Hill,  June  1778,  by  a  party 
of  soldiers  directed  by  Gen.  Putnam. 

NEWBURGH.  This  is  a  town  of  considerable  size,  six 
miles  beyond  the  Highlands,  with  some  handsome  build 
ings. 

Newburgh  is  advantageously  situated  for  the  oye  of  one 
approaching  it,  as  it  stands  on  the  declivity  of  a  hill  which 
slopes  handsomely  to  the  shore.  Half  a  mile  south  of 
the  village  is  seen  the  old  stone  house  in  which  Gen. 
Washington  had  his  head  quarters  when  the  celebrated 
"  Newburgh  Letters  "  were  published. 

MATTEAVVAN  FACTORY,  FISHKILL.  It  stands  near  the- 
river,  and  directly  opposite  JNewburgh.. 


<*'  -%-f  t 

'%'/ '/:'• 


.\      I.       \\       -\       N      Y  C       O. 

«'t'T>^ 


^VL 


?Ui 
fly 

,v/"'7^  ^       " 


T'T". "':•''" 


iirxrKit  TOVTMSlilfT\       \ 


Kiii«>.sl/oii- 


niTTC'IIKs*S        «.'*>. 
RliinebecV 


CATSTCILL    MOUNTAINS.  21 

POUGHKEEPSIE  is  a  place  of  considerable  importance, 
•and  is  situated  two  miles  east  of  the  river. 

KINGSTON.  Here  begins  the  Delaware  and  Hudson 
canal,  opened  in  1827. 

SAUGERTIES.  Here  is  a  large  manufacturing  place  es 
tablished  by  Henry  Barcklay,  Esq.  of  New  York.  By  a 
large  stone  dam  on  Esopus  creek  is  obtained  a  supply  of 
•water  at  a  fall  of  nearly  50  feet,  which  may  be  twice  used 
on  great  wheels. 

THE  CATSKU-L  MOUNTAINS.  As  the  traveller  proceeds, 
he  observes  the  distant  ridge  of  the  Catskill  mountains. 
They  nowhere  approach  nearer  to  the  river  than  eight 
miles,  and  in  some  places  retire  15  arid  even  20. 

An  excursion  to  the  summit  of  these  mountains  may 
very  properly  be  ranged  among  the  principal  objects  in 
the  great  tour  which  we  are  just  commencing.  The  visit 
may  be  accomplished  in  one  day,  though  two  or  three 
may  be  agreeably  spent  in  examining,  at  leisure,  the  grand 
and  beautiful  scenery  of  that  romantic  neighbourhood. 
There  is  a  large  and  commodious  house  of  entertainment 
erected  at  the  Pine  Orchard,  one  of  the  peaks  of  the  moun 
tain,  about  3,000  feet  above  the  river.  It  is  visible  from 
the  steamboat,  and  the  ascent  to  it  is  performed  without 
fatigue,  in  private  carriages  or  a  stagecoach. 

The  place  to  land  for  this  excursion  is  Catskill,  where 
begins  a  turnpike  road  to  Ithaca.  Taking  the  stage 
coach  here,  you  proceed  towards  the  Pine  Orchard,  pass 
ing  an  inn  at  the  distance  of  seven  miles,  and  then  begin 
ning  the  ascent,  which  is  surmounted  by  a  winding  road, 
that  affords  much  wild  scenery,  and  many  a  glimpse  at 
the  surrounding  country.*  Five  miles  of  such  travelling 
brings  th  :  visitor  to 

The  PINE  ORCHARD.  This  is  a  small  plain,  3,000  feet 
above  the  river,  scattered  with  forest  trees,  and  furnished 
with  an  elegant  house  of  great  size,  built  for  the  accom 
modation  of  visiters.  The  Hudson  is  seen  winding  from 
afar  through  its  verdant  valley,  its  margin  adorned  with 
villages,  and  its  surface  enlivened  with  vessels  of  various 
descriptions.  Immediately  below  is  seen  a  region  of  un- 

*  The  forests  of  this  mountainous  region  furnish  immense 
quantities  of  tlie  bark  used  iu  tanning  leather;  and  many  tan- 
series  are  in  operation  in  this  county. 


22  THE   CATSKILL   MOUNTAINS. 

cultivated  mountains,  which  is  strikingly  contrasted  with 
the  charming  aspect  of  fertility  that  reigns  beyond,  and 
presents  all  the  variety  of  hill  and  vale,  town,  hamlet  and 
cottage. 

The  Round  Top  is  a  summit  of  greater  elevation  to 
wards  the  south,  from  which  the  view  is  more  extensive. 
It  is  3,718  feet  above  the  ocean. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  river  is  seen  part  of  the  counties 
of  Albany,  Greene,  Ulster  and  Orange  ;  and  on  the  east, 
part  of  Putnam  county,  and  all  of  Dutchess,  Columbia 
and  Rensselaer.  The  distant  high  land  in  the  east  be 
longs  partly  to  Taughkannuc  and  Saddle  Mountains  in 
Massachusetts,  and  perhaps  partly  to  the  Green  Moun 
tains  in  Vermont.  Lower  down  is  discovered  a  range  of 
hills  in  the  western  counties  of  Connecticut.  The  eye 
embraces  a  tract  of  country  about  100  miles  in  length, 
and  50  in  breadth ;  and  a  large  part  of  it  is  supposed,  by 
geologists,  to  have  formed  the  bed  of  a  great  lake  in  some 
long  past  age,  when  the  Hudson  was  thrown  back  by  the 
barrier  presented  at  the  Highlands,  before  the  present 
chasm  had  been  cut  for  its  passage. 

Nearly  opposite  is  seen  the  old  Livingston  Manor, 
which  is  one  of  the  few  great  aristocratical  estates  exist 
ing  in  this  part  of  the  country.  It  originally  contained 
Clermont,  (14,000  acres,)  the  Manor  (146,000)  and  East 
Camp  or  Palatine,  (6,000.)  This  last  was  settled  by 
exiles  from  the  Palatinate  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne. 

The  CASCADKS.  West  from  the  Mountain  House  a 
path  leads  through  the  woods  to  the  cascades,  passing 
near  two  small  lakes,  from  which  the  supply  of  water  is 
derived. 

The  stream  flows  through  the  woods  to  where  the  level 
terminates,  very  abruptly,  at  a  high  and  shelving  preci 
pice,  descending  into  a  tremendous  gorge  between  ridges 
of  gloomy  mountains.  The  first  fall  is  175  feet,  and  the 
second  80  :  both  perpendicular,  without  a  single  protrud 
ing  rock  to  break  the  snow-white  sheet. 

A  building  is  erected  where  refreshments  may  be  ob 
tained  ;  and  on  the  right  is  a  steep  path  by  which  even 
ladies  may  descend  in  safety  to  the  foot  of  the  falls. 

There  is  a  cavern  under  the  first  cataract,  where  the 
shelving  rock  shelters  the  stranger  from  the  spray,  and 


CITY  OJ*  ALBANY.  23 

throws  a.  dark  shade  around  him,  which  sets  oft",  in  the 
taost  beautiful  manner,  the  wild  scenery  below.  Tht) 
cavern  is  formed  by  the  wearing  away  of  the  sandstone 
rocks,  while  the  'stratum  of  grawacke  remains  unim* 
paired. 

At  a  little  distance  the  stream  takes  its  second  leap 
into  a  dark  abyss ;  and  from  a  rock  at  that  place,  it  is 
seen  rushing  tumultuously  along  over  a  steep  and  rocky 
channel,  winding  between  the  bases  of  the  mountains 
until  it  graduall}  sweeps  away  toward  the  south,  and  dis*- 
appears  among  the  rude  scenery  that  surrounds  it. 

After  gratifying  his  curiosity  and  taste  with  scenes 
like  these,  the  traveller  will  return  to  Catskill  to  take 
the  next  steamboat;  and  by  making  the  necessary  ar 
rangements,  he  can  proceed  up  the  river  with  very  little 
delay. 

The  CITY  op  HUDSON,  5|  miles  above  Catskill.  This 
is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  important  towns  on  the 
river,  and  occupies  a  commanding  eminence  on  the  east 
ern  bank,  with  several  ranges  of  large  stores  built  near 
the  water's  level.  On  the  brow  of  the  ascent  from 
the  water  is  a  favourite  promenade,  from  which  a 
charming  view  is  enjoyed  of  the  river  and  the  opposite 
Catskill  mountains.  The  western  shore  is.  variegated 
and  beautiful,  and  contains  the  village  of  Athens. 

The  railroad  leads  from  Hudson  to  West  Stockbridge; 
Mass. 

The  Union  road  to  New-Lebanon  is  a  good  one,  and 
passes  through  a  varied,  well  cultivated  and  agreeable 
trnct  of  country. 

There  are  extensive  manufactories  in  this  vicinity. 

Claverack  is  a  pleasant  village  a  few  miles  from  Hud* 
son. 

The  Great  Falls  is  a  romantic  cascade  about  nine  miles 
from  Hudson,  near  the  old  post  route. 

ALBANY,  145  miles  from  New-York. 

ROUTES    FROM     ALBANY.      Stagecoaches    run    daily 
towards  all  the  four  cardinal  points;  and  six  or  eight  fre 
quently  set  off  in  the  same  direction.      Indeed  the  num 
ber  is  often  much  greater  than  this  when  the  full  crowd 
3* 


24  LEBANON  SPKINGS. 

of  travellers  v  pressing  towards  this  city.  By  steady 
travelling,  you  may  go  to  Buffalo  in  three  days,  290 
miles.  Two  or  three  steamboats  go  daily  to  New-York; 
and  boats  go  on  the  canal.  The  circuit  and  delays  occa 
sioned  by  the  locks,  make  the  passage  to  Schenectady 
consume  a  whole  day  The  freight  boats  of  the  Trans 
portation  Companies  are  very  numerous,  and  have  been 
fitted  up  very  comfortably  for  passengers,  and  convey 
them  at  a  less  price  than  the  regular  packets.  For  the 
route  to  Niagara,  see  page  32.  For  other  routes,  &.c. 
see  index. 

The  Capitol,  or  State  House,  occupies  a  commanding1 
position  at  the  head  of  State*street,  and  contains  the 
Assembly  and  Senate  Chambers,  the  Supreme  Court,  the 
County  Court,  &c.  &c.  It  is  115  feet  in  length,  90  in 
breadth,  and  50  high.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  rivet 
is  Greenbush,  famous  for  more  than  a  century  as  a  canton 
ment  ;  find  the  deserted  lines  of  eutrenchment  are  clearly 
seen  from  the  State  House.  This  is  the  h'rstpoint  worthy 
of  notice,  connected  with  the  colonial  wars  against  Can 
ada.  At  Greenbush,  the  troops  supplied  in  quotas  by  the 
eastern  colonies,  used  to  meet  those  of  New  Yoik;  and 
hence  they  proceeded,  under  commanders  appointed  by 
the  British  government,  against  their  enemies  in  the 
north. 

The  Academy  and  Female  Institute  are  large  in 
stitutions  for  the  higher  branches  of  education. 

LEBANON  SPRINGS,  2G  miles  east  from  Albany. 

NEW-LEBANON  SPRINGS  is  one  of  the  most  delightful 
resoits  for  strangers,  in  point  of  situation,  being  in  this 
respect  incomparably  superior  to  either  of  the  great 
watering  places,  Saratoga  and  Ballston,  Among  all  the 
places  which  might  have  been  selected  for  an  agreeable 
residence  in  the  warm  seasons,  and  calculated  to  please 
a  taste  for  the  softer  beauties  of  nature,  none  perhaps 
could  have  been  found  more  eligible  than  that  we  are 
about  to  describe. 

The  village  of  New-Lebanon  is  situated  in  a  little 
valley,  surrounded  by  fine  hills,  or  rather  spurs  from 
two  ranges  of  high  ground,  descending  with  a  rich  and 


LEBANON    STRINGS.  25 

graceful  slope  on  every  side  to  its  borders.  The  valley  ia 
almost  a  perfect  level,  which  contrasts  agreeably  with  the 
bold  sides  of  the  uplands,  some  of  which  are  divested 
of  their  forests,  and  ornamented  with  cultivated  fields  and 
farms,  presenting  a  rich  variety  to  the  eye  wherever  it 
turns. 

On  the  side  of  a  hill  about  two  miles  east  from  the 
village,  and  about  half  way  to  the  summit  of  the  ridge, 
issues  out  a  Spring  of  clear  warm  water,  which,  although 
possessed  of  no  strong  mineral  qualities,  has  given  the 
place  its  celebrity ;  and  there  stands  a  fine  and  spacious 
hotel,  to  which  the  visiter  will  direct  his  course, 

In  coming  from  the  west,  the  Shaker  Village  opens 
just  beyond  the  last  turnpike  gate;  and  on  approaching 
the  hotel,  it  is  better  to  take  the  road  which  turns  off  to 
the  right,  as  the  direct  road  up  the  hill  is  very  steep  and 
laborious 

A  little  arbour  will  be  observed  on  the  acclivity  of  the 
hill  above  the  house,  the  path  to  which  lies  through  the 
garden  ;  and  there  an  uninterrupted  view  will  be  enjoyed 
over  the  surrounding  landscape.  A  still  more  exten 
sive  one  may  be  obtained  from  the  summit  of  the  hill, 
by  following  the  road  for  a  considerable  distance  up,  and 
then  turning  off  into  the  fields.  But  the  former  point 
of  view  will  be  most  frequently  taken  by  visitors,  on 
account  of  the  facility  of  access.  On  the  southeast  is 
the  road  to  Northampton;  southwest,  the  most  exten 
sive  scene,  and  the  road  to  the  Shaker  Village ;  west, 
village  of  NewLebanon,  and  road  to  Albany  and  Troy, 
northwest,  the  side  of  a  fine  sloping  hill,  well  cultivated, 
and  near  at  hand. 

Distances.— To  Albany,  26  miles  ;  Troy,  27.  To  Hart 
ford,  69,  Hudson,  28. 

The  waters  of  the  Spring  are  abundant,  and  much 
esteemed  for  bathing,  always  keeping  the  temperature 
of  72°  Fahrenheit,  although  they  cannot  be  supposed  to 
possess  any  mineral  virtues,  as  may  be  inferred  from  an 
examination  of  the  following  analysis  given  by  Dr.  Meade, 
and  quoted  by  Professor  Silliman;  Two  quarts  of  the 
Lebanon  water  contain 


Muriate  of  lime,  1  grain. 
Muriate  of  soda,  l| 
Sulphate  of  lime,  1£ 
Carbonate  of  do.  | 


Of  Aeriform 


Nitrogen  gas,       13  cubic  ifi« 
Atmospheric  air,  8     do. 


5  grains.  21 

The  Lebanon  water  is  therefore  ptirer  than  most  natu* 
1-al  waters,  and  purer  than  those  in  the  vicinity,  which 
flow  from  the  same  hill.  It  resembles  very  much  the 
Buxton  water  in  England,  though  it  is  not  quite  so 
warm;  and  the  Bristol  water  is  another  example  of  tepid 
water  almost  entirely  without  mineral  qualities.  Pro* 
fessor  Sillitnan  compares  the  scenery  about  Lebanon 
Springs  to  that  of  Bath  in  England. 

The  Ijouse  at  the  Springs  is  very  large,  commodious 
fend  elegant ;  and  has  accommodated  300  persons  at  one 
time.  It  stands  close  by  the  spring,  and  is  furnished 
With  baths  supplied  with  the  water.  The  old  house  mea 
sures  90  feet,  and  the  new  one  120  feet  long.  They  stand 
in  the  form  of  an  L,  with  a  fine  piazza  runs  along  thenl 
both,  measuring  220  feet. 

From  New-Lebanon  Springs  to  Troy,  there  is  a  very 
good  road,  through  a  variegated  country.  Distances  as 
follows:  to  Nassau,  16  milds  {  thence  to  Troy,  11. 

From  the  Springs  to  Hudson  is  28  miles,  and  a  stage 
coach  goes  thither.  The  following  is  a  table  of  distanced 
on  the  road  to  Boston  t 

Pittsfield  7  miles,  Hinsdale  9,  Peru  4,  Worthington  6, 
Chesterfield  6,  Northampton  13,  Hadley  3,  Amherst 
4,  Belchertown  7,  Ware  6,  Western  8,  Brookfield  6, 
Spencer  7,  Leicester  11,  Worcester  6,  Framingham  10, 
Boston  21  —  134. 

The  SHAKER  VILLAGE,  a  few  miles  from  the  Springs, 
is  an  an  object  of  attention  to  most  visiters.  The  village 
itself  presents  a  scene  of  great  neatness  and  beauty,  ad 
it  is  situated  on  a  beautiful  level,  and  laid  out  with  the 
Utmost  regularity  The  fields  are  divided  by  right  lines, 
fenced  with  the  most  substantial  materials,  and  cultivated 
with  great  faithfulness  and  skill.  It  is  a  leading  principle 
with  the  society,  to  allow  of  no  private  property ;  all  the 
possessions  of  those  who  join  them  are  thrown  into  the 
common  stock,  and  submitted  at  once  to  their  peculiar 


CITY   OF   ALBANY.  27 

system  of  life  and  government.  Celibacy  they  insist  upon 
as  indispensable  ;  and  they  profess  to  banish  the  love  of 
wealth  and  ambition,  as  well  as  luxury  in  all  its  degrees, 
from  all  their  territories. 

The  founder  of  their  sect  was  Ann  Lee,  who  came  from 
England  some  years  ago,  and  established  a  small  "  fam 
ily,"  as  they  call  it,  which  has  been  succeeded  by 
various  similar  institutions  in  different  parts  of  the 
country.  They  regard  that  woman  as  nearly  equal  to 
the  Saviour  of  the  world ;  and  themselves  as  the  only 
persons  who  have  received  that  spiritual  light  which  is.  ne 
cessary  to  understand  and  practise  the  duty  of  man,  that 
is,  to  renounce  the  pleasures  of  the  world,  and,  by  a  life 
of  self-denial,  present  a  living  testimony  against  error  and 
wickedness.  Their  dress  is  plain,  and  their  worship  con 
sists  principally  in  a  strange  and  disagreeable  kind  of 
dancing,  whence  they  have  their  name,  accompanied  with 
a  monotonous  song. 

Some  of  their  most  experienced  find  perfect  members, 
pretend  to  "  speak  with  tongues,"  heal  diseases  with 
a  touch  of  the  hand,  and  perform  other  miracles  like 
the  apostles.  They  consider  the  marriage  contract  as 
dissolved  on  joining  the  society. 

They  pay  great  attention  to  the  raising  of  garden  seeds 
in  most  of  their  villages,  as  well  as  to  several  of  the  neat 
er  branches  of  manufacture,  and  derive  from  both  a  very 
handsome  income,  by  making  sales  at  home  and  in  differ 
ent  parts  of  the  country.  Whoever  has  an  opportunity  to 
see  this  singular  people,  will  probably  feel  gratified  with 
their  neatness,  industry,  and  economy,  but  will  perhaps 
leave  the  place  with  pity  for  some,  and  suspicion  of  others. 

The  original  settlement  or  family,  is  at  Niscayuna,  above 
Albany. 

ALBANY. 

The  ALBANY  BASIN.  The  northern  and  western  ca 
nals  unite  at  the  distance  of  8£  miles  from  Albany,  and 
terminate  here,  at  a  large  basin,  4000  feet  long.  It  has 
two  or  three  handsome  bridges,  one  with  a  draw  to  allow 
a  passage  for  sloops,  which  leads  from  the  foot  of  State- 
street.  The  pier  which  encloses  the  basin  on  the  river 
side,  is  built  of  logs,  and  wide  enough  for  a  spacious 


28  ROUTES    FROM    ALBANY. 

street.     It  is  a  place  of  deposit  for  vast   quantities    of 
iumber. 

NORTH  ROUTE  FROM  ALBANY. 

From  Albany  to  Ballston  and  Saratoga  Springs,  the 
traveller  may  take  the  railroad  route  through  Schenecta- 
dy,  or  ride  to  Troy,  and  take  the  railroad  thence  through 
Lansingburgh  and  Waterford,  which  joins  the  latter  at 
Ballstoa.  For  Lake  Champlain,  take  a  canal  packet  at 
Troy. 

For  the  west,  a  series  of  railroad?  to  Buffalo  is  partly 
finished  as  far  as  Canandaigua,  250^  miles.  These  are 
under  different  companies.  At  the  other  extremity  of 
the  line  the  Buffalo  and  Rochester  railroad  is  in  use  to  Ba- 
tavia,  32  miles. 

Description  of  a  Canal  Packet  Boat.  The  length  is 
60  or  70  feet,  a  large  part  of  which  is  devoted  to  the  din 
ing  room,  where  two  rows  of  tables  are  set.  At  night, 
mattresses  are  spread  on  the  seats  each  side,  and  another 
row  above  them  on  oots  suspended  from  the  roof.  The 
ladies  are  accommodated  with  berths  in  the  cabin,  which 
is  usually  carpeted,  hung  with  curtains,  and  in  other  re 
spects  more  handsomely  furnished. 

A  small  library,  a  number  of  newspapers,  &c.  will 
serve  to  make  the  time  pass  agreeably,  even  if  the  travel 
ler  be  a  stranger,  or  the  weather  not  inviting.  In  many 
places,  the  view  from  the  deck  is  highly  interesting  ;  but 
it  cannot  be  too  often  recommended  to  the  stranger  to  be 
ware  of  standing  on  deck  when  approaching  a  briisje,  and 
never  to  expose  the  head  or  hands  out  of  a  window. 

RENSSELAERWVCK,  a  fine  estate  with  its  respectable  old 
mansion  house,  about  a  mile  north  of  the  centre  of  Albany 
is  worthy  of  particular  observation,  as  the  seat  of  the  late 
Hon.  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer  ;  who  bore  the  respected  old 
Dutch  title  of  Patroon  of  Albany.  The  estate  is  of  im 
mense  value,  extending  ten  miles  along  the  river,  and 
double  that  distance  east  and  wost ;  embracing  besides, 
a  fine  tract  on  the  Black  river,  &c.  It  was  formerly  en- 
.tailed,  and  secured  by  law  to  the  oldest  son  of  the  family. 

U.  STATES   ARSKNAL,  5|  miles,  at  Watervleit. 

Sfhe  ground  occupied  by  the  arsenal  extends  from  the 


road  near  the  river,  back  to  the  tow  path  of  the  canal. 
The  muskets  are  partly  packed  in  boxes,  and  partly  ranged* 
upright,  with  fixed  bayonets,  in  compact  order ;  and  pre 
sent  an  appearance  truly  formidable.  Thousands  of  pistols 
are  hung  over  head  ;  those  in  the  alternate  lines  standing 
different  ways ;  and  swords  with  metallic  scabbards  are 
disposed  horizontally  on  wire  hooks.  The  walls  bear 
several  devices  formed  of  swords,  pistols,  &c.  inge 
niously  arranged.  This  is  the  principal  depot  of  arms  and 
equipments  in  the  northern  states. 

The  passages  and  staircases  are  hung  with  drums,  &c. 
On  the  ground  floor  are  a  few  pieces  of  artillery,  and  va 
rious  sizes  of  shot,  shells,  &c.  &c. 

In  the  yard  are  two  ranges  of  buildings.  That  on  the 
north  is  devoted  to  work  shops  for  the  repair  of  arms, 
manufacturing  locks,  &c.  The  buildings  on  the  south  side 
are  occupied  by  smiths  and  carpenters.  Behind  these  is 
a  handsome  flower  and  fruit  garden  :  the  kitchen  garden 
being  on  the  north  side  of  ihe  grounds. 

In  the  yard  are  a  number  of  cannon,  &c.  There  are  4 
medium  12  pounders,  one  24,  and  one  howitzer,  all  taken 
at  Saratoga;  4  medium  12  pcmnders  and  one  howitzer, 
taken  at  Yorktown;  two  long  antique  pieces  and  one  8 
inch  mortar,  taken  at  Stony  Point;  two  old  French  4 
ponnders  and  14  guns,  sent  by  King  Louis  to  the  Conti 
nental  Congress  in  the  revolution.  These  are  all  of  brass 
and  most  of  them  highly  ornamented.  The  French  guns 
presented  by  the  king,  bear  each  an  individual  name  for 
ward,  and  the  inscription  "  Ultima  ratio  regum" — (the 
last  argument  of  kings.) 

There  are  also  3  or  4  howitzers  cast  in  New  York  and  Phi 
ladelphia  in  the  revolution,  some  of  the  oldest  specimens  of 
euch  manufacture  in  this  country.  They  bear  the  letters 
U.  C.  for  United  Colonies. 

TROY.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  is  a  very 
handsome  town,  with  fine  hills  in  the  rear,  the  most  pro 
minent  of  which  has  received  the  name  of  Mount  Ida,  to- 
correspond  with  the  classic  appellation  of  the  place. — 
There  is  a  good  horse  ferry,  which  helps  to  render  the  town 
a  great  thoroughfare  during  the  travelling  season.  The 
Dam,  Basin  and  Viaducts  at  Troy  are  expensive  works,. 

The  railroad  to  Ballston  meets  the  Schenectady  and 
Saratoga  railroad. 


30  TROT. 

Sandy  Lake  is  10  miles  southwest,  Nassau  8  more,  vfl 
lage  of  New-Lebanon  12  miles  further,  and  Lebanon 
Springs  2  more. 

On  Mount  Ida,  the  hill  east  of  Troy,  is  a  fine  succes 
sion  of  water  falls,  on  two  streams,  the  Poestenkill  and 
the  Wynantskill.  One  of  them  has  cut  its  way  in  some 
places  to  a  great  d^pth,  and  takes  three  or  four  perpen 
dicular  leaps  at  short  intervals  of  only  a  few  yards.  The 
road  to  New-Lebanon  Springs  leads  near  the  place,  which 
is  worthy  of  attention  for  its  picturesque  character. 

Mount  Ida.  The  view  from  the  top  of  this  hill,  anci 
still  more  from  the  mountain  behind  it,  is  very  extensive 
and  beautiful. 

The  Academy  for  young  ladies  is  a  very  respectable 
institution — long  directed  by  Mrs.  Emma  Willard. 

Troy.  Very  fine  packet  boats  ply  on  the  canal  from  Troy 
to  Whitehall,  setting  out  early  in  the  morning,  and  arriv 
ing  before  night.  This  mode  of  travelling  is  recommend 
ed  on  account  of  convenience,  and  the  good  opportunity  it 
affords  of  viewing  the  battle-ground  of  Saratoga  or 
Behmis's  Heights,  the  field  of  surrender,  &c. 

Hydrostatic  Lock.  In  order  to  prevent  fraud  in  the 
collection  of  toll,  one  of  these  works  has  been  constructed1 
at  Troy.  They  are  commonly  called  weigh-locks. 

The  chamber  is  on  the  same  level  with  the  canal,  and 
is  filled  from  it  by  a  paddle  gate.  On  a  level  below  the 
chamber  is  a  receptacle,  into  whic.i  the  chamber  can  be 
emptied  ;  and  from  this  the  water  can  be  discharged. 

After  an  empty  boat  has  been  ance  weighed,  she  ia 
numbered,  and  her  weight  is  registered  at  the  several 
hydrostatic  locks. 

The  opportunity  for  looking  around  on  every  side  is 
much  better  enjoyed  in  a  canal  boat  than  in  a  stage 
coach,  or  even  a  private  carriage,  although  it  sometime* 
happens,  that  the  road  commands  more  extensive  viewa 
than  the  canal.  The  immediate  scene  from  the  latter, 
however,  will  usually  be  found  the  most  agreeable ;  for 
a,  smooth  sheet  of  water,  with  level  and  often  grassy 
banks,  is  a  more  pleasant  sight  than  a  long  stretch  of  a 
muddy  or  sandy  highway.  Besides,  it  is  always  free 
from  the  inconvenience  of  dust,  which  frequently  renders 
the  roads  in  this  part  of  the  country  extremely  uncomfortable. 

The  Double  Locks  just  below  the  junction  of  the  noyfh- 


Ifsrtti 


REMARKS   ON    THE  CANAL. 

era  and  western  canals,  are  built  of  marble  from  Westches- 
ter  county. 

The  Junction,  8£  miles  from  Albany,  is  where  the 
Northern  and  Western  Canals  meet  and  unite.  To  this 
spot  the  canal  has  been  of  a  greater  width  than  either  of 
the  branches  will  be  found  to  be.  The  Northern  Canal 
runs  to  Whitehall,  Lake  Champlain,  with  locks,  a  dis 
tance  of  63 £  miles,  passing  through  Waterford,  Half- 
moon.  Stillwater,  near  Behmis's  Heights,  (14  miles  from 
Waterford,)  with  the  battle-grounds  of  General  Bur- 
goyne,  Fort  Hardy,  where  he  surrendered,  Fort  Miller,. 
Fort  Edward,  and  Fort  Anne. 

The  Erie  or  Western  Canal  extends  to  Buffalo,  on 
Lake  Erie,  a  distance  of  362  miles.  It  has  8:>  locks, 
which  raise  and  lower  the  water  688  feet  in  all.  The 
principal  points  where  the  most  labour  and  expense  were 
required,  are  the  following: 

The  Basin  at  Albany, — the  Dam  and  Basin  at  Troy, — 
the  Locks  at  the  Cohoes  Falls, — the  two  Aqueducts  on 
which  the  canal  twice  crosses  the  Mohawk, — the  long 
Stone  Wall  and  Locks  at  Little  Falls,  together  with  the 
beautiful  Aqueduct  for  the  Feeder  at  that  place, — the 
long  stretch  through  the  Onondaga  Swamp, — the  great 
Embankment  at  Victor,  where  for  two  miles  the  boats 
pass  72  feet  above  the  level, — the  Aqueduct  over  the  Ge- 
nesee  at  Rochester, — the  five  double  combined  locks  at 
Lockport,  and  the  long  pier  at  Black  Rock. 

At  the  nine  Locks,  the  road  to  Waterford  leaves  the 
Erie  Canal  on  the  west,  and  the  Champlain  Canal  on 
the  east ;  and  crosses  the  Mohawk  River  below  the  Co- 
hoes  Falls.  There  is  a  very  fine  view  of  the  locks,  the  riv 
er,  and  the  falls,  from  the  road  which  runs  along  the  south 
bank  of  the  river,  140  feet  high,  between  it  and  the  canal. 
COHOES  FALLS.  This  is  the  great  Cataract  of  the  Mo 
hawk  Rwer.  The  height  of  the  fall  is  62  feet..  The 
banks  are  mere  walls  of  stratified  rock,  rough,  and  some 
times  hollowed  out  beneath,  rising  about  140  feet  above  the 
river  for  a  great  distance  below  the  falls.  At  first  view 
the  cataract  appears  almost  as  regular  as  a  mill-dam  ;  but 
on  a  nearer  approach,  the  ledge  of  rocks  over  which  the 
water  is  precipitated  is  found  extremely  irregular  an<$ 
broken.  Many  fine  fish  are  caught  at  the  bottom. 


32  SCHEHTECTADY. 

SCHENECTADT  is  one  of  the  oldest  settlements  in  the 
state,  having  been  occupied  as  a  little  frontier  fortress 
before  the  year  1665,  when  it  was  attacked  by  a  party  of 
French  and  Indians  from  Canada,  and  burnt,  and  many 
of  the  inhabitants  murdered.  This  party  was  designed 
against  the  Five  Nations;  but  being  much  worn  down  with 
travelling  in  the  winter,  they  fell  on  Schenectady. 

Union  College  is  conspicuously  situated  a  little  out  of 
town.  Dr  Nott  is  president  of  tins  highly  respectable 
institution. 

The  traveller  now  enters  a  region  of  peculiar  interest  in 
the  history  of  the  state,  and  indeed  of  the  country.  The 
first  settlement  of  Albany  by  the  Dutch,  (in  1610,)  was 
made  with  the  intention  of  trading  with  the  Iroqnois,  or 
Five  Nations  of  Indians,  who  occupied  the  territory  west 
of  it*  These  were  stationed  in  the  following  order :  the 
Mohawks,  Oneidas,  Cayugas,  Onondagas  and  Senecas  or 
Onondowalchwas  as  they  cabled  themselves.  The  French 
in  Canada  often  endeavoured  to  detach  these  tribes  from 
the  Dutch,  and  subsequently  from  the  English,  but  with 
out  success. 

They  carried  on  a  trade  with  the  Dutch  and  the  En 
glish,  very  valuable  to  the  latter.  In  the  French  wars  in 
the  first  half  of  the  last  century,  and  still  later,  they  aid^d 
the  English  with  scouts  and  soldiers,  and  often  suffered 
severely  for  their  faithfulness.  In  the  Revolution,  the 
Americans  wished  to  persuade  them  to  remain  neutral: 
hut  some  of  them  were  drawn  off  to  the  British  interest 
by  Sir  John  Johnson,  who  resided  at  Johnstown  ;•  and  thus 
the  region  between  Schenectady  and  the  most  distant  part 
of  the  state  at  that  time  settled  by  white  men  was,  for 
several  years,  ravaged  by  war.  Bodies  of  Indians,  led  by 
British  officers,  frequently  came  from  Canada  by  forced 
marches,  and  falling  by  surprise  upon  the  settlements, 
burned  the  buildings,  carried  off  or  destroyed  the  pro 
perty,  and  killed  or  captured  the  inhabitants.  A  line  of 
scattered  villages  then  lying  on  and  near  the  route  of  the 
present  railroads,  roads  and  canals,  several  times  suffered 
in  this  manner;  and  the  enemy  often  crossed  that  line, 
and  penetrated  more  than  once  as  far  as  the  Valley  of 
Wyoming  in  Pennsylvania. 

Among  the  most  melancholy  events  caused  by  war  m 


7?  . 


S-'Jll 


ROUTE   TO   NIAGARA.  33 

this  part  of  the  Union  was  the  destruction  of  Schenectady 
by  the  French  and  Indians  in  the  year  1665.  The  inhabit 
ants  were  disaffected  towards  the  troops,  who  had  been 
furnished  them  for  protection,  and  were  so  secure  that 
they  disregarded  all  precautions,  and,  being  attacked  at 
midnight,  were  easily  overcome.  Many  of  them  fled  to 
Albany  in  great  distress  over  the  inhospitable  plain  which 
the  railroad  crosses. 

Schenectudy,  15  miles  from  Albany,  is  a  town  of  con 
siderable  size,  at  a  point  where  the  Erie  Canal  and  the 
railroad  meet  ihe  Mohawk.  Those  who  have  leisure 
may  be  pleased  with  the  canal  route  between  Albany  and 
this  place,  as  it  twice  crosses  the  river  on  aqueducts,  and 
passes  the  Cohoes  Falls,  (70  feet  high,)  and  a  fine  display 
of  nine  double  locks  below  it. 

FROM    SCHENECTADY   TO   UTICA. 

By  the  Canal,  79£  miles. 

Rotterdam  Flats  3  miles. 

Flint  Hill  -         -         -         8 

Fort  Hunter        -         -         -       10 

North  of  the  canal,  and  on  the  bank  of  the  Mohawk,  is 
the  place  where  this  little  fort  formerly  stood.  Like 
most  of  the  places  of  defence  built  in  this  state  during  the 
revolution  and  the  French  wars,  it  was  small,  and  fitted 
only  for  resisting  such  little  bands  of  enemies  as  used  to 
approach  the  settlements  on  this  frontier. 

Near  this  place  is  the  site  of  an  old  fort  of  the  Mohawk 
Indians  ;  and  there  is  still  to  be  seen  a  chapel  built  by 
Queen  Anne,  near  the  beginning  of  the  last  century,  for 
the  use  of  that  nation.  It  is  known  by  the  name  of 
Queen  Anne's  Chapel. 

Tribe's  Hill,  (called  by  the  corruption  of  the  German 
neighbours,  Tripe's  Hill,)  is  a  fine  eminence  crossed  by  the 
stage-road.  On  ils  summit  was  formerly  the  principal 
fort  and  village  of  the  Mohawks.  This  tribe,  being  the 
most  eastern  of  "the  Five  Nations,"  was  most  known  by 
the  Indians  of  New-England,  whose  bitter  enemies  they 
were.  Al  the  time  when  Massachusetts  was  first  settled, 
they  governed  the  country  as  far  east  as  Connecticut 
Rive.r.  The  fort  on  this  hill  was  once  taken  by  surprise? 
by  the  French.  The  railroad  lies  at  its  base, 


34  SCHOHARIE  CKEEK. 

SCHOHARIE  CRKEK.  1  mile.  Here  is  a  collection  of 
several  very  interesting  works,  formed  for  the  convenient 
passage  of  boats  across  a  broad  and  rapid  stream,  A 
guard  lock  preserves  the  water  in  the  canal  from  rising  or 
falling,  and  the  current  of  the  creek  is  set  back  by  a  dam 
a  little  below,  nearly  to  the  same  level.  The  dam  is  con 
structed  in  a  manner  best  calculated  to  resist  the  pressure 
of  the  current  in  floods,  and  when  increased  by  the  ice. 
It  has  a  broad  foundation  and  a  narrow  top ;  and  it  is 
built  so  as  to  present  an  angle  against  the  middle  of  the 
current.  An  ingenious  invention  has  been  devised  for 
drawing  boats  across  the  creek  by  machinery.  A  wheel 
turned  by  a  horse  moves  a  rope,  which  is  stretched  double 
across,  and  is  carried  round  a  wheel  on  the  other  side ; 
a  line  attached  to  this  draws  the  boats,  they  being  kept  in 
their  course  by  another  line,  which  slides  upon  a  long  rope 
stretched  across  the  creek  on  the  other  side  of  the  boats, 

CAUGHN  AWAGA,  4£  miles.  The  village  of  Johnstown 
is  situated  at  the  distance  of  four  miles  north  of  the 
canal.*  The  railroad  passes  it. 

*  At  Johnstown,  on  the  road,  are  two  fine  houses,  built  of  stone, 
standing  at  the  distance  of  a  mile  from  each  01  her.  They  were 
-erected  by  Sir  William  Johnson  and  his  family,  as  this  tract 
of  country  was  the  place  of  his  residence,  and  formed  a  part 
of  his  vast  and  valuable  estate.  There  was  originally  a  third 
house,  similarly  built,  and  at  the  interval  of  another  mile:  but  that 
was  consumed  by  fire.  Col.  Guy  Johnson,  and  C<>l.  John  Johnson, 
(sons  of  Sir  William,)  inhabited  two  of  them  until  the  revolution 
ary  war  ;  when,  having  attached  themselves  to  the  British  inte 
rest,  they  removed  into  Canada,  and  their  estates  w«re  confiscated. 
Colonel  John  afterwards  came  down  with  a  party  of  French  and 
Indians,  attacked  the  town,  and  made  prisoners  many  of  his  old 
friends  and  neighbours. 

Sir  William  Johnson,  who  makes  so  conspicuous  a  figure  in  the 
history  of  the  state  about  the  time  of  the  French  war,  was  born  in 
Ireland,  in  1714,  and  in  1734  came  to  America,  at  the  solicitation 
of  his  uncle,  Sir  Peter  Warren,  who  had  acquired  a  large  estate 
here  through  his  wife  Sir  William  liecame  well  acquainted  with 
the  Indian  language  and  manners,  and  acquired  a  greater  influ 
ence  over  them  than  any  other  white  innii  ever  possessed  He 
rose  from  the  station  of  a  private  solder  to  the  rank  of  a  Genera! 
and  commanded  at  Lake  George  in  1755,  although,  as  will  hernaf- 
terbe  seen,  the  title  which  he  there  received  was  redly  merited 
by  Gen.  Lymnn.  July  25,  1759,  he  took  Fort  Niagara,  und  in 
1769  went  to  join  Gen.  Amherst  at  Oswego,  and  assisted  in  the 
•capture  of  Montreal.  He  died  and  was  buried  at  his  seat  July  7, 


ROUtE  TO  NIAGARA*  35 

ANTHONY'S  NOSE,  7|  miles.  This  is  a  high  and  pfo- 
tftinent  hill,  rising  abruptly  on  the  southern  bank  of  the 
river.  On  the  top  is  a  remarkable  cavern,  whirh  extends 
downwards  to  a  great  depth,  wiih  several  apartments  of 
considerable  size.  This  hill  is  represented  in  one  of  the 
plates;  but  the  view  is  taken  from  a  spot  west  of  it. 
The  spot  is  quite  picturesque,  and  presents  a  remarkable 
assemblage  of  interesting  objects  :  the  Mohawk  River, 
winding  through  a  narrow  valley,  with  the  turnpike  on 
the  north  side,  the  canal  and  a  country  road  on  the  south? 
the  whole  enclosed  bv  rough  and  elevated  hills. 

There  is  every  appearance  of  a  rent  in  the  hills  having" 
been  made  by  a  strong  current  of  water;  and  geologists 
consider  them  as  having  originally  been  a  barrier  to  a 
great  lake  which  was  thus  gradually  drained. 

CANAJOHARIE  CREEK  AND  VILLAGE,  5  miles. 

FORT  PLAIN,  4  miles.  Here  is  a  small  village,  belong 
ing  to  a  town  inhabited  by  the  descendants  of  Germans, 
It  occupies  the  site  of  Old  Fort  Plain.  The  German  Ian* 
guagre,  much  corrupted,  is  spoken  here. 

This  little  fort  was  surprised  by  captain  Butler  in  the 
revolutionary  war,  on  his  returning  from  burning  Cherry 
Valley  ;  and  here  he  committed  similar  atrocities. 

Dam  on  the  River,  and  Feeder  for  the  Canal,  4  miles. 

THE  MOUTH  OF  EAST  CANADA  CREEK,  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  Mohawk.  Near  that  place,  Capt.  Butler  met 
a  violent  death,  soon  after  leaving  Fort  Plain,  on  his  way 
back  to  Oneida  Lake  and  the  Oswego.  He  had  crossed 
the  river  somewhere  below,  and  while  lingering  a  little  in 
the  rear  of  his  troops,  was  overtaken  near  the  mouth  of 
the  creek,  by  two  Oneida  Indians,  in  friendship  with  the 
Americans  Seeing  them  preparing  to  kill  him,  he  begged1 
for  his  life;  but  they  only  replied  "Sherry  Valley!'1  and 
tomahawked  him  on  the  spot. 

1774,  at  the  age  of  60,  very  rich,  in  consequence  of  the  increased 
value  of  his  extensive  estate  afier  the  French  war.  This  build 
ing  was  erected  in  1773,  and  stands  nearly  a  mils  westward  frdurt 
tno  village  It  is  called  the  IlalL 

4* 


LITTLE  FA.LLS. 

MOHAWK  CASTLE,  2  miles.  This  was  the  principal 
defensive  position  of  that  famous  nation  of  Indians,  now 
entirely  scattered  and  lost.  Here  is  an  old  chapel  erected 
for  their  use. 

LITTLE  FALLS.  The  country  presents  a  varied  sur 
face,  and  increases  in  interest  on  approaching  Little  Fallsj 
which  is  the  most  romantic  scene  on  the  course  of  the 
Erie  Canal.  On  reaching  a  little  open  meadow  surround 
ed  hy  hills,  where  the  views  open  upon  cultivated  fields 
and  a  few  farm  houses,  the  Mohawk  will  he  found  flowing 
below,  on  the  right;  while  on  the  opposite  side,  at  the 
foot  of  the  hills  arid  on  the  verge  of  the  forest  that  covers 
them,  the  great  road  is  seen,  after  having  been  lost  to  the 
view  for  a  long  time.  The  road,  river,  canal,  and  railroad 
meet  again  at  the  head  of  the  valley  ;  for  there  is  but  one 
passage,  and  that  so  narrow  as  hardly  to  afford  room  for 
them  all.  This  is  a  deep  cut  through  a  chain  of  lime" 
stone  and  granite  hills,  doubtless  torn  away  in  some 
former  age  by  the  force  of  water.  If  the  chain  were 
again  filled  up  it  would  throw  the  water  back,  and  form 
an  immense  lake,  such  as  is  supposed  to  have  once  ex 
isted  west  of  this  place,  and  which,  by  overflowing  its 
bounds,  in  process  of  time  wore  away  the  limestone  stra 
ta,  and  cut  deep  into  the  hard  granite,  until  a  mere  river 
succeeded,  and  the  fine  alluvial  plains  above,  called  the 
German  Flats,  were  left  dry. 

The  stranger  should,  by  no  means,  neglect  the  view  of 
this  place.  If  he  reaches  it  early  or  late  in  a  pleasant 
day,  particularly  near  the  rising  of  the  sun,  the  beauty  of 
the  scene  will  be  redoubled.  On  the  north  bank  of  the 
river,  the  road  climbs  along  the  side  of  the  rocks,  where 
there  is  barfly  room  for  its  passage  A  great  part  of  the 
way  it  is  almost  overhung  by  rocks  and  trees  on  one  side, 
while  on  the  other  is  a  precipice  of  granite,  cut  down  by 
the  force  of  the  water  in  perpendicular  shafts,  originally 
formed  by  drills,  made  by  loose  stones  whirled  round  in 
the  current.  The  same  appearance  extends  to  the  islands 
and  rocks  in  the  channels,  many  of  which  appear  quite 
inaccessible;  with  their  ragged  and  perpendicular  sides 
overhung  by  dark  evergreens,  whose  shade  seems  the  more 
intense  from  its  contrast  with  the  white  rapids  and  cas- 


ROUTE   TO  NIAGARA*  3? 

£ades  below.  In  some  places  the  road  is  protected  by 
immense  natural  battlements,  formed  of  massy  rock- 
which  have  been  loosened  from  above,  and  planted  them 
selves  on  the  brow  of  the  precipice. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  river  runs  the  canal,  support1 
ed  by  a  wall  20  or  30  feet  high,  constructed  at  great  ex 
pense,  and  rising  from  the  very  channel  of  the  Mohawk. 
The  wildness  of  the  surrounding  scenery  contrasts  no 
less  with  the  artificial  beauty  of  this  noble  work,  than  the 
violence  arid  tumult  of  the  Mohawk,  with  the  placid  and 
silent  surface  of  the  canal,  or  the  calmness  and  security 
with  which  the  boats  glide  along  the  side  of  the  moun* 
tains. 

The  traveller  in  a  boat  may  step  on  shore  and  walk 
along  the  tow  paths,  as  there  are  five  more  locks  a 
mile  above.  If  he  wishes  to  stop  a  few  hours  to  view  the 
scene  more  at  leisure,  the  village  of  Little  Falls  is  only 
half  a  mile  from  that  place,  where  is  a  large  and  comfort* 
able  inn,  with  cars,  boats  and  coaches  passing  very 
frequently.  If  he  intends  to  stay  but  a  few  hours,  it  is 
recommended  to  him  to  have  his  baggage  left  at  a  little 
tavern  on  the  canal,  where  it  can  be  readily  transferred  to 
another  vehicle. 

The  AQUEDUCT  across  the  Mohawk  is  near  the  5  locks  { 
and  is  considered  the  most  finished  specimen  of  mason 
work  on  the  line  of  the  canal,  though  much  inferior  in 
size  to  that  over  the  Genesee  at  Rochester.  It  conducts 
a  supply  of  water  from  the  old  canal,  formerly  built  for 
boats  to  pass  the  falls,  and  communicates  also  with  a 
large  basin  on  the  north  bank.  It  passes  the  narrow 
channel  of  the  river  with  three  beautiful  arches,  which 
are  covered  with  a  calcareous  cement  roughened  by  little 
stalactites,  formed  by  the  water  that  continually  drips 
through  the  stones.  Stones,  twigs  of  trees,  &c.  on  which 
the  water  falls,  are  soon  found  incrusted  with  a  similar 
substance.  The  channel  here  shows  part  of  the  old  lime 
stone  strata,  with  the  more  durable  granite  rocks  laid  bare 
below. 

This  neighbourhood  is  interesting  to  the  geologist, 
abounding  in  organic  remains,  &c.  but  the  ordinary  tra 
veller  will  be  more  pleased  with  specimens  of  the  beauti- 


28  imci, 

ful  little  rock-crystals,  (quartz,)  which  are  found  on  IrM 
hills  about  a  mile  distant  from  the  village.  They  are  per* 
feet  in  their  formt  terminating  with  two  pyramids ;  and 
are  so  loosely  imbedded  in  a  sandy  rock,  as  to  be  washed 
out  by  the  rains  in  considerable  numbers. 

There  are  mills  of  various  kinds  at  this  place. 

On  leaving  Little  Falls,  the  canal  enter*  upon  a  beau 
tiful  meadow  of  fine  soil,  and  a  smooth  surface;  through 
which  the  iMohavvk  winds  in  a  placid  and  gentle  current, 
enclosed  on  each  side  by  sloping  hills.  At  the  distance 
of  three  miles  we  are  in  the  level  region  called  the  Ger 
man  Flats,  famous  for  its  fertility.  The  inhabitants,  who- 
are  almost  all  of  German  extraclion,  still  preserve  their 
language,  and  many  of  the  customs  of  their  ancestors; 
and  though  often  laborious  and  provide  nt  farmers,  are 
little  inclined  to  ihoso  iinpiovements  in  learning  or  the 
useful  arts,  which  distinguish  so  large  a  portion  of  the 
state.  T^e  scenes  presented  along  this  part  of  the  canaly 
bear  a  resemblance  to  some  of  the  meadows  e>f  the  Con 
necticut,  although  of  inferior  size,  and  of  more  recent 
settlem-ent. 

HERKIMER.  This  village  is  situated  about  7^  miles 
beyond,  and  a  mile  north  of  the  canal,  on  a  semicircular 
plain  ;  the  circumference  of  which  is  traced  by  the  Mo 
hawk,  and  the  diameter  by  the  railroad.  It  derives  it:? 
name  from  Gen.  Herkunei,  of  whom  tnere  will  be  more  to- 
say  at  Rome. 

The  traveller  may  take  a  carriage  here,  to  visit  Trenton 
Falls,  and  join  the  canal  at  Utica  ;  or  go  first  from  Utica. 

The  LONG  LEVEL  begins  at  Lock  JNo  53,  neaily  six 
miles  west  of  Herkuner  It  is  the  longest  reach  on  the 
canal  without  any  ir  terruption  by  locks,  extending  to  Sa- 
lina,  a  distance  of  69^  miles,  490  feet  above  tide. 

UTICA.  This  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  important 
of  the  western  towns  Hotels,  13agg's,  Canal  Coflfee- 
House,  Franklin,  Ctty  Hotel,  National.  Public  buildings, 
&c.  3  Banks,  16  Churches,  Female  Institute,  High 
School,  Academy,  Reading  Room,  and  Library  of  the 
Y.  Men's  Association, (open  to  strangers;)  Lyceum,  &c. 

The  streets  are  broad,  straight  and  commodious;  and 
the  principal  ones  well  built,  with  rows  of  brick  stores. 


ROUTE   TO   NIAGARA.  39 

<or  elegant  dwelling  houses.  The  bridge  over  the  Mo* 
hawk,  is  at  the  end  of  the  street. 

HAMILTON  COLLEGE  is  situated  near  the  village  of 
Clint  .m,  9  miles  from  Utica. 

TRENTON  FALLS.  This  most  interesting  vicinity  is 
well  worthy  the  attention  of  every  person  of  taste,  being 
justly  considered,  one  of  the  finest  natural  scenes  in  this 
part  of  the  country. 

From  this  house  you  descend  a  long  stair  case  down 
the  steep  bank  of  the  West  Canada  Creek,  which  has  cut 
a  frightful  chasm  through  a  rocky  range,  in  some  places 
150  feet  deep,  and  is  seen  gliding  swiftly  by  through  a 
declining  channel  below.  The  chasm  continues  for  four 
miles,  and  presents  the  greatest  variety  of  cascades  and 
rapids,  boiling  ^>ools  and  eddies.  The  passage  or  chasm 
between  the  rocks  is  everywhere  very  narrow,  and  in 
some  places  barely  of  sufficient  breadth  to  permit  the 
stream  to  pass;  while  the  rocks  rise  perpendicularly  on 
each  side,  or  sometimes  even  project  a  considerable  dis 
tance  over  head,  so  that  it  has  been  often  necessary  to 
form  an  artificial  path  by  means  of  gunpowder.  These 
places  appear  dangerous,  but  only  require  a  little  caution 
and  presence  of  mind  to  insure  xhe  safety  of  tho  visiter, 
as  strong  iron  chains  are  fixed  into  the  rock  to  offer  him 
security.  There  are  four  principal  cataracts,  between 
the  staircase  by  which  you  first  descend  and  the  usual 
limit  of  an  excursion,  which  is  about  a  mile  and  a  quar 
ter  up  the  stream.  The  first  of  these  you  discover  soon 
after  the  first  turning,  and  is  about  40  feet  high ;  with  the 
greatest  fall  towards  the  west  The  top  of  the  rock  on 
the  right  side  is  150  feet  high  by  line  measurement.  The 
second  is  a  regular  fall,  much  like  a  milldam,  about  8 
feet  high;  the  third  a  remarkably  striking  and  beautiful 
one;  and  the  fourth  rather  a  succession  of  cascades,  but 
presents  many  most  agreeable  varieties. 

Near  the  foot  of  this  a  melancholy  accident  occurred  in 
1827.  A  lady  from  New- York  was  drowned  by  slipping 
from  a  low  bank ;  unseen,  although  her  friends  and  parents 
were  near  her.  The  ear  is  stunned  by  the  falls,  the  rocks 
are  slippery  and  great  caution  is  recommended. 

About  a  mile  and  a  quarter  from  the  house,  is  a  small 


40  FORT   STAMWIX. 

building  erected  for  the  supply  of  refreshment*.  A  sing »- 
lar  species  of  tree  is  found  in  this  neighbourhood,  called 
the  white  cedar,  with  drooping  branches,  which  often 
grow  to  such  a  length  as  to  descend  far  below  the  root, 
towards  the  water.  The  rocks  here  are  all  a  dark  lime 
stone,  of  a  very  slaty  structure,  and  contain  astonishing 
quantities  of  petrified  marine  shells  and  other  animals  of 
an  antediluvian  date,  such  as  Dilobites,  Trilobites,  &c. 

There  are  several  other  cataracts  besides  those  already 
mentioned,  both  above  and  below  ;  and  a  stranger  might 
spend  some  time  here  very  agreeably  in  observing  them 
at  leisure,  and  in  catching  the  fine  trout  with  which  the 
creek  abounds.  The  house  is  commodious,  and  has  the 
reputation  of  furnishing  one  of  the  best  tables  in  this  part 
of  the  state. 

FROM  UTICA  TO  SYRACUSE,  by  the  canal,  63|  miles, 
Whitestowh  4,  Oriskany  village  7,  Rome  on  the  right  8, 
Feeder  from  Wood  Creek,  and  the  old  U.  S.  Arsenal  1, 
Dneida  Creek,  14,  Lock  54,  end  of  the  long  level  29,  Sy 
racuse  |.  These  places  are  noted  in  succession. 

Whitestown  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  villages  in  this 
part  of  the  state,  as  well  as  the  oldest  settlement.  All 
this  tract  of  country  was  a  perfect  wilderness  in  1785, 
•when  Mr.  White,  from  Middletown,  in  Connecticut,  first 
took  up  his  abode  here  and  lifted  an  axe  against  the  forest. 
The  traveller  may  keep  this  in  mind  as  he  pursues  his 
journey,  and  the  progress  of  civilization  will  appear  more 
astonishing. 

SIEGE  OF  FORT  STANWIX.  On  the  road  from  Whites- 
town  to  Rome,  is  the  spot  where  Gen.  Herkimer  sat  down 
under  a  tree  after  receiving  his  mortal  wound.  In  1777r 
Gen.  Burgoyne  sent  between  1500  and  1800  men,  many  of 
them  savages,  under  Baron  St.  Leger,  from  Montreal,  by 
Lake  Ontario,  to  attack  Fort  Stanwix ;  and  then  to  go  down 
the  Mohawk  to  Albany.  Early  in  August  they  arrived  at 
Fort  Stanwix.  Gen.  Herkimer,  commander  ot  the  militia 
of  Tryon  county,  was  sent  against  them  with  800  men. 
His  men  insisted  on  going  on,  to  meet  a  detachment  under 
Sir  J.  Johnson,  sent  out  by  St.  Leger;  but  at  the  first  shot 
they  fled.  A  few  remained  and  fought,  and  Gen.  H.  was. 
mortally  wounded.  Congress  voted  a  monument  to  hi& 
memory,  but  it  has  never  been  erected.  The  Americans 


ROUTE    TO   NIAGARA.  41 

lost  160  killed,  and  240  wounded  and  prisoners.  [Two 
miles  below  Fort  Stanwix  the  canal  commences  between 
the  Mohawk  and  Wood  Crenk.] 

Fort  Stanwix  stood  60  or  80  rods  N.  E.  of  the  centre  of 
the  village  of  Rome,  with  a  deep  ditch,  three  rows  of  pali 
sades,  and  a  block  house  in  the  middle.  It  was  defended 
against  St.  Leger,  by  Col.  Ganzevoort.  Lieut.  Col.  Willet 
drove  him  off  by  a  sortie,  and  plundered  the  camp.  He 
was  intercepted  on  his  return,  but  cut  his  way  through, 
and  returned  without  the  loss  of  a  man.  When  Sir  J. 
Johnson  returned  from  the  battle  with  Gen.  Herkimer, 
the  fortress  was  summoned,  but  refused  to  surrender  ;  and 
Col.  Willet  and  Lieut.  Stockton  left  the  fort  to  inform 
the  people  towards  Albany,  of  its  situation.  They  crept 
through  the  enemy's  camp,  and  got  to  Gen.  Schuyler's 
head  quarters  at  Stillwater.  Gen.  Arnold  volunteered  to 
relieve  it ;  and  frightened  the  besiegers  by  means  of  two 
emissaries,  an  Indian  and  a  whke  man,  who  told  such  sto 
ries  of  the  force  of  the  Americans,  that  they  left  their 
baggage  and  fled  precipitately  to  Oneida  Lake. 

ONEIDA  CASTLE.  This  is  a  village  on  the  confines  of 
a  tract  of  reserved  land  belonging  to  the  Indians  of  the 
Oneida  nation.  The  principal  residences  of  most  of  the 
Indians  in  this  part  of  the  country  were  formerly  fortified 
in  a  manner  corresponding  with  their  ideas  of  warfare, 
and  hence  the  name  of  castle  attached  to  this  village,  as 
well  as  to  several  others,  which  we  may  have  occasion  to 
speak  of  further  on* 

The  Oneidas  were  one  of  the  original  Five  Nations, 
which  form  so  conspicuous  a  figure  in  the  history  of  this 
state,  and  whose  power  and  influence,  at  the  time  of  the 
settlement  of  New-York  and  New-England,  were  extended 
far  and  wide.  They  held  the  Dalawares  in  subjection  in 
Pennsylvania  and  Delaware;  the  Cherokees  in  South  Ca 
rolina  sought  their  friendship  ;  and  all  the  country  between 
the  Hudson  and  Connecticut  rivers  was  tributary  to  them. 
They  must  have  been  at  that  time  extremely  numerous. 
But  since  then  their  decrease  has  been  great ;  for  besides 
the  losses  they  have  sustained  in  wars,  and  the  diseases 
brought  upon  them  by  civilized  vices,  many  of  their  young 
men  have  left  their  native  country  to  go  and  join  the  tribes 


42  SYRACUSE.      SALT   WORKS. 

who  still  preserve  some  portion  of  their  original  habit*  ami' 
independence. 

A  mile  east  of  Oneida  Creek,  and  by  the  road  side,  is 
the  ancient  COUNCIL  GKOVE,  where  all  the  public  busi 
ness  of  the  nation  was  for  many  years,  transacted. 
It  is  formed  of  fine  butternut  trees,  which,  in  the  summer 
season,  from  a  little  distance,  present  a  beautiful  and  re 
gular  mass  of  verdure.  '  Towards  the  southeast  from  this 
place  is  seen  the  Episcopal  church,  a  building  erected  for 
the  use  of  the  Indians. 

SYRACUSE.  This  place  is  no  less  remarkable  for  the 
rapidity  of  its  growth,  than  for  the  peculiar  advantages  of 
its  situation.  The  great  Salt  Spring  is  only  a  mile  and  a 
half  distant ;  and  the  water  is  raised  85  feet,  and  brought 
in  hollow  logs  to  the  salt  vats,  and  at  a  very  trifling  ex 
pense.  These  vats  cover  400  acres  at  the  western  side  of 
the  village,  and  are  well  worthy  of  a  day's  delay,  as  well 
as  the  works  at  Salina,  Liverpool,  and  Geddesburgh. — 
The  vats  are  large  pans  made  of  wood,  three  or  four  inches 
deep,  raised  a  little  from  the  ground,  and  placed  in  long 
ranges,  with  a  very  gradual  descent,,  to  permit  the  salt  wa 
ter  to  flow  slowly  along  from  one  end  to  the  other.  Each 
range  of  vats  is  supplied  by  a  hollow  log  placed  perpen 
dicularly  in  the  ground  ;  and  the  constant  action  of  the  sun 
evaporates  the  water,  and  leaves  the  salt  to  be  deposited  in 
small  cubical  crystals  at  the  bottom.  The  water  is  at  first  a 
little  thick,  but  gradually  deposits  its  impurities;  and  the 
lower  vats  alwnys  show  a  beautiful  white  crust,  like  the 
purest  snow..  Within  7  miles  are  180  salt  works. 

Light  wooden  roofs  are  kept  ready  to  slide  over  the 
vats  when  the  weather  requires  it;  and  the  salt  is  taken  out 
once  in  two  or  three  days,  to  be  deposited  in  the  store 
houses,  which  are  built  at  regular  distances. 

Thence  it  is  easily  removed  to  the  canal,  and  then  is 
ready  for  transportation  to  any  part  of  the  country. 

The  OSWEGO  CANAL  leaves  the  Erie  canal  at  this  place, 
and  opens  a  direct  communication  with  Lake  Ontario. 

The  bank  is  used  as  a  tow  path  a  considerable  distance.. 
The  shores  rise  gradually  to  a  height  of  100  feet,  with  few 
inhabitants  and  little  cultivation.  The  locks  and  other 
works  are  of  the  best  description,,  and  very  admirable 
•workmanship.. 


ROUtB   TO   NIAGARA.  43 

SALINA  is  situated  a  mile  and  a  half  north  from  this 
place,  and  should  not  be  passed  by  unnoticed.  A  small 
but  convenient  little  packet-boat  is  continually  plying  be 
tween  the  two  places,  drawn  by  a  single  horse,  and  passes 
by  many  salt  manufactories,  built  on  both  sides  of  the 
canal.  The  mode  of  evaporation  generally  adopted  here, 
is  that  of  boiling ;  and  a  brief  description  will  convey  a 
clear  idea  of  the  process.  Each  building  contains  sixteen 
or  eighteen  large  iron  kettles,  which  are  placed  in  two 
rows,  forming  what  is  called  "  a  block.  They  stand 
about  three  feet  higher  than  the  floor ;  and  under  them  is 
a  large  furnace,  which  is  heated  with  pine  wood,  and  re 
quires  constant  attention  to  keep  the  water  always  boiling. 
The  water  is  drawn  from  a  large  reservoir  atone  end 
of  the  building,  after  having  been  allowed  to  stand  awhile 
and  deposit  the  impurities  it  has  brought  along  with  it. 
A  hollow  log,  with  a  pump  at  one  end,  and  furnished  with 
openings  against  the  kettles,  is  the  only  machine  used  in 
filling  them.  The  first  deposit  made  by  the  water  after  the 
boiling  commences,  is  a  compound  of  several  substances, 
and  is  thrown  away,  under  the  name  of  "  Bittern ;" 
but  the  pure  white  salt,  which  soon  after  makes  its 
appearance,  is  carefully  removed,  and  placed  in  a  store 
room  just  at  hand,  ready  for  barrelling  and  the  market. 

There  are  large  manufactories  here,  where  salt  is  made 
in  reservoirs  of  an  immense  size,  and  evaporated  by  hot 
air  passing  through  them  in  large  pipes.  The  pipe  is  sup 
plied  with  heat  by  a  furnace  below,  and  the  salt  is  formed 
in  large  loose  masses,  resembling  half-thawed  ice.  The 
crystallization  also  is  different  from  that  produced  by  the 
other  modes,  at  least  in  secondary  forms. 

The  Village  of  Salina  is  of  considerable  size  and  a  flou 
rishing  appearance.  The  extensive  marshes  which  bound 
it  on  the  west  are  extremely  unwholsome  during  the 
warmer  seasons  of  the  year,  and  the  whole  neighbour 
hood  is  more  or  less  infected  with  the  fever  and  ague,  that 
terrible  scourge,  which  has  retarded  so  much  the  settlement 
of  many  parts  of  the  western  country.  Since  the  marshes 
have  been  partially  cleared  and  drained,  the  disease  has 
been  greatly  diminished. 

The  branch  canal  which  runs  through  this  village,  is  ap 
plied  to  other  valuable  purposes  beside  those  of  transpor* 
5 


44  SAL1NA.       SALT    WORKS. 

tation.  A  sluice  which  draws  oft'  a  portion  of  the  water 
towards  the  marshes  and  the  lake,  is  made  to  turn  several 
mill  wheels  in  its  course.  A  forcing  pump  raises  the  wa 
ter  of  the  salt  spring  destined  to  supply  the  manufactories 
here  and  at  Syracuse ;  and  a  large  open  frame  building 
shows  the  spot  from  which  all  the  kettles  and  the 
puns  of  both  these  places  derive  their  supplies :  that 
for  the  latter  being  elevated  to  the  height  of  35  feet. 

The  Salt  Spring  itself  will  be  viewed  as  a  curiosity, 
but  in  its  present  state  presents  no  very  remarkable  ap 
pearance,  as  there  is  little  commotion  visible  on  the  sur 
face,  and  the  source  would  seem  by  no  means  equal  to  the 
great  draughts  which  are  continually  made  upon  it. 

The  Lake  will  be  seen  at  the  distance  of  about  a  mile. 
It  is  six  miles  long  and  two  broad,  and  must  receive  a  con 
siderable  quantity  of  salt  water  from  the  draining  of  the 
marshes,  as  its  banks  are  covered  with  saline  plants.  The 
valley  is  surrounded  by  limestone  hills,  with  petrifactions, 
and  gypsum  is  found  in  great  quantities. 

"  The  American  Salt  Formation"  says  Dr.  Van 
Rensselaer  in  his  '  Essay,'  "  extends  over  the  continent 
from  the  Alleghanies  to  the  Pacific,  between  31°  and  45° 
North  Latitude.  In  this  immense  tract,  rock  salt  has 
been  occasionally  found  ;  but  its  locality  is  more  generally 
pointed  out  by  brine  springs."  The  salt  springs  in  this  state 
are  in  the  counties  of  Onondaga,  Cayuga,  Seneca,  Ontario, 
Niagara,  Genesee,  Tompkins,  Wayne,  and  Oneida,  but  this 
is  the  most  valuable  on  various  accounts.  During  the  year 
ending  August  1823,  606,463  bushels  were  manufactured 
here.  In  1800  there  were  only  42,754. 

45  gallons  of  water  makes  a  bushel  of  salt.  At  Nan- 
tucket  350  gallons  of  sea  water  are  required. 

The  following  approximated  analysis  of  the  water  of 
this  spring  is  given  by  Dr.  Noyes  of  Hamilton  College. 
40  gallons,  or  355  Ibs.  contain  56  Ibs.  of  saline  extract. 

Pure  Muriate  of  Soda,  51  Ib.  Carb.  Lime,  coloured  by 
oxyde  of  iron,  6£  oz.  Sulph.  Lime,  2'lb.  4  oz.  Muriate 
Lime.  1  Ib.  12j  oz.  and  probably  muriate  magnesia,  and 
eulph.  goda. 

FROM  SYRACUSE  TO  ROCHESTER.    Railroad. 

By  the  canal,  99  miles.  Weed's  Basin  26  miles. — 
A  coach  to  Auburn,  8  miles  for  50  cents,  llm.  Monte- 


ROUTE    TO    NIAGARA.  45 

zuma  Salt  Works.  Here  beg-in  the  Cayuga  Marshes. 
The  canal  across  the  marshes  was  constructed  at  a  vast 
expense.  35  m.  Palmyra.  Coach  to  Canandaigua,  13m. 
for  75  cents.  The  Great  Embankment,  72  feet  high, 
extending  2  m. 

ANTIQUITIES.  In  the  towns  of  Onondaga,  Camillug, 
and  Pompey,  are  the  remains  of  ancient  villages  and  forts, 
of  which  a  description  will  be  found  in  Yates  and  Moul- 
ton's  History  of  the  State,  vol.  I.  p.  13.  In  Pompey 
the  form  of  a  triangular  enclosure  is  visible,  with  the 
remains  of  something  like  circular  or  elliptical  forts  at 
the  corners,  8  miles  apart,  the  whole  including  more 
than  500  acres.  De  Witt  Clinton,  the  late  Governor  of 
this  state,  in  his  memoir,  read  in  1817,  before  the  Lit. 
and  Phil.  Society,  thinks  the  place  was  stormed  on  tho 
north  line. 

In  Camillus  is  an  elliptical  fort  on  a  high  hill,  three 
acres  in  extent,  with  a  covered  way,  10  rods  long,  to  a 
spring  on  the  west  and  a  gate  towards  the  east.  Another 
is  on  a  less  elevation  half  a  mile  off,  and  half  as  large. 
Sculls,  pottery,  and  bits  of  brick  have  been  picked  up  in 
these  places.  (There  is  a  bed  of  Coal  in  Onondaga.) 

ROCHESTER 

Is  the  largest  and  most  flourishing  place  in  this  part  of 
the  state,  being  indeed  the  fourth  in  the  state  in  point  of 
numbers.  It  is  situated  on  the  west  side  of  Genesee 
river,  at  the  upper  falls,  where  it  is  crossed  by  the  canal; 
and  enjoys  the  finest  advantages  for  water  mills  of  all  kinds, 
from  the  convenient  and  abundant  supply  obtained  from 
the  falls. 

HOTELS.  Rochester  House,  Eagle,  Mansion,  Monroe, 
Clinton  and  Arcade. 

Rochester  was  first  surveyed  into  lots  in  the  year  1811, 
the  first  settlement  made  in  1812,  and  it  was  not  until  the 
latter  part  of  the  year  1814,  that  any  considerable  addition 
was  made  to  the  number  of  inhabitants. 

In  the  museum  may  be  seen  the  remains  of  mammoths 
dug  up  in  this  town  and  vicinity. 

There  are  many  fine  dwellings,  the  court  house,  Arcade, 
Athenaeum  and  Pagoda,  gaol,  market,  20  large  flour  mills 


46  ROCHESTER. 

of  stone.  There  are  three  bridges  over  the  Genesef? 
eight  canal  basins,  two  dry  docks,  &c.  The  Broadway 
bridge,  600  feet  long,  is  a  few  yards  above  the  aqueduct. 

The  water  power  belonging  to  this  village  and  the 
vicinity  is  equal  to  the  power  of  38,400  horses  ;  or,  1,920 
steam  engines  of  20  horse  power  each.  Therefore  the 
water  power  is  worth  (computing  the  cost  of  such  en 
gines,  as  in  England,  at  $8,880  each ;  and  the  annual 
expense  of  working  at  222  dollars  for  each  horse  power,) 
almost  ten  millions  annually.  The  whole  river  supplies 
20,000  cubic  feet  a  minute ;  and  the  combined  height  of 
the  falls  at  Rochester  and  Carthage  is  about  280  feet.  A 
fall  of  12£  cubic  feet  of  water  in  a  minute  20  feet,  is  equal 
to  the  power  of  one  horse. 

The  Aqueduct  over  the  Genesee  is  one  of  the  finest 
works  on  the  course  of  the  canal,  and  is  no  less  remark 
able  for  its  usefulness  than  for  its  architectural  beauty 
and  strength.  It  is  borne  across  the  river's  channel,  on 
ten  arches  of  hewn  stone.  The  river  dashes  rapidly 
along  beneiith,  while  boats,  with  goods  and  passengers, 
glide  safely  above. 

A  feeder  enters  the  canal  on  the  east  side  of  the  river> 
where  sluices  are  also  constructed  for  the  supply  of  the 
numerous  manufactories  built  on  the  bank.  Other 
sluices  are  also  dug  on  the  west  side,  where  many  other 
mills  are  to  be  seen.  The  streets  of  the  town  are  hand 
somely  and  regularly  laid  out,  and  several  of  them  are- 
very  well  built  with  store  and  dwelling  houses  of  brick 
and  stone,  and  well  flagged  on  the  side-walks. 

Falls.  There  is  a  fall  in  the  Genesee  of  about  9O 
feet,  near  the  northern  extremity  of  the  town,  another 
near  it ;  and  a  fine  one  at  Carthage,  which,  with  the- 
truly  impressive  scenery  of  the  banks,  is  worthy  of  par 
ticular  attention.  To  vary  the  ride,  it  is  recommended 
to  the  stranger  to  go  down  on  one  side  of  the  river,  and 
after  viewing  the  cataract,  cross  the  bridge  a  little  above, 
and  return  on  the  other. 

CARTHAGE.  The  fall  here  is  very  sudden,  though  not 
in  a  single  precipice.  The  descent  is  70  feet  in  a  few 
yards.  The  cataract  has  evidently  been  retiring  for  ages, 
as  the  deep  gulf  below  the  falls,  with  its  high,  perpen 
dicular  and  ragged  banks,  is  sufficient  testimony  j  ami 


•s    . 


f,< 


\ 


ROUTE    TO   NIAGARA.  47 

the  seclusion  of  the  place,  the  solemn  and  sublime  effect 
of  the  scenery,  redoubled  by  the  roaring  of  the  cataract, 
combine  to  render  it  one  of  the  most  impressive  scenes 
in  this  part  of  the  country.  The  precipices  are  walls  of 
secondary  rocks,  presenting1  their  natural  stratification, 
and  descending  from  the  surrounding  level,  to  a  depth 
of  about  two  hundred  feet.  A  singular  vein  of  whitish 
stone  will  be  observed,  cutting  them  horizontally,  and 
disappearing-  at  the  brink  of  the  falls,  which  it  has  kept 
at  their  present  position ;  its  superior  hardness,  evident 
ly  resisting  the  action  of  the  water,  for  a  much  longer 
time  ;  and  probably  rendering  the  descent  more  perpendi 
cular  than  it  would  otherwise  be.  The  rocks  are  over 
hung  with  thick  forest  trees,  which,  in  gome  places,  have 
been  able  to  find  a  narrow  footing  along  the  sides. 

Here  are  the  hutments  of  a  bridge  thrown  over  a  few- 
years  ago.  It  was  400  feet  in  length,  and  250  above  the 
water ;  but  stood  only  a  short  time,  and  then  fell  with  a 
tremendous  crash,  by  its  own  weight;.  Fortunately  no 
person  was  crossing  it  at  the  time — a  lady  and  gentleman 
had  just  before  passed,  and  safely  reached  the  other  side. 

On  account  of  the  obstructions  at  the  falls,  navigation 
is  entirely  interrupted  here  ;  and  all  the  communication 
between  the  banks  of  the  Genesee,  as  well  as  the  canal, 
and  Lake  Ontario,  is  through  Carthage.  Merchandise  is 
raised  up  the  bank,  or  lowered  down,  by  means  of  an 
inclined  plane,  very  steep,  where  the  descending  weight 
is  made  to  raise  a  lighter  one  by  its  superior  gravity. 

ROAD  FROM  ROCHESTER  TO  NIAGARA  FALLS,  87  miles. 

'To  Lockport,  and  thence  a  railroad  to  the  Falls. 
To  Carthage  Falls     -    -    2 
Parma      ......     9 

Clarkson       -     -     -     -     7 

Hartland      -     -     -     -  14 

Sandy  Creek    -     -     -     7 


To  Gaines 


Oak  Orchard  -  -  -     7 

Cambria  -     -  -  -  -  11 

Lewiston       -  15 

Niagara  Falls  -  -  -     7 


The  principal  objects  on  this  road,  are  the  Ridge,  Lew- 
iston  on  Niagara  River,  and  the  Tuscarora  Village.  Ni 
agara  Village  will  be  seen  if  you  do  not  cross  into  Cana 
da  at  Lewiston ;  and  Queenstown  if  you  do.  Lockport 
may  also  be  seen  by  leaving  the  stage  road  at  Hartland, 
5* 


48  LOCKFonT. 

54  miles  from  Rochester,  where  a  vehicle  awaits  the  af* 
rival  of  the  coach,  to  take  travellers  to  Lockport,  7  miles-, 
It  will  be  proper,  however,  to  pay  your  passage  only  t& 
this  place,  if  you  determine  to  stop  here. 

Instead  of  going  by  land  from  Rochester,  it  may  be  more 
convenient  to  take  passage  in  the  canal  boat  to  Lockport  ; 
and  there  take  the  railroad. 

The  RIDGE  is  a  remarkable  elevation,  of  little  heighv 
nnd  for  the  most  part  very  narrow,  extending  a  great 
part  of  the  distance  from  Rochester  to  Lewiston.  It  i» 
often  perfectly  level  for  several  miles,  and  affords  an  ad 
mirable  foundation  for  the  road,  which  has,  in  conse 
quence,  been  laid  along  its  top. 

The  ground  presents  a  slope  on  each  side  of  the  path, 
peculiarly  well  adapted  for  home  lots,  gardens,  and  or 
chards  ;  and  the  frequency  asd  facility  of  transportation 
give  the  inhabitants  very  manifest  advantages.  Some 
well  built,  and  even  handsome  hotises  will  be  observed, 
which  are  still  few  indeed,  but  show  that  a  good  style  ha» 
actually  been  introduced. 

LOCKPOKT.  This  is  one  of  the  interesting  places  on  th« 
canaL  Here  is  the  noblest  display  of  locks,  two  ranges,, 
made  of  fine  hewn  stone,  being  constructed  against  the 
brow  of  the  Mountain  Ridge,  where  the  foaming  of  the- 
•waste  water,  the  noise  of  mills,  and  the  bustle  of  occupa 
tion  excite  many  lively  feelings.  Above  the  locks  the 
Deep  Cut  offers  a  singular  passage  between  high  walls  of 
rocks. 

Lockport  is  one  of  the  most  advantageous  sites  for 
machinery  on  the  canal,  as  all  the  water  passes  down 
the  mountain  ridge,  which  the  canal  requires,  for  an  ex 
tent  of  135  miles :  Tonawanta  Creek  being  the  only 
feeder  from  Buffalo  to  the  Seneca  River.  It  is  brought 
down  by  passing  round  the  double  locks,  and  falls  55 
feet  into  a  large  natural  basin.  The  rocks  are  blasted  out 
to  a  depth  of  60  feet.  Within  a  few  years,  the  spot  ha» 
been  changed  from  a  wilderness  to  a  village  of  several 
hundred  houses.  It  is  65  miles  to  Rochester,  and  27  to 
Buffalo. 

MINERALS.  The  rocky  stratum  is  a  carbonate  of  lime, 
containing  organic  remains:  encrinites,  enthrocites,  &c, 
&c.  crystals  of  carb.  lime,  rhomboidal,  dog-tooth  spin-, 


,.-.-.-1-1- ~* — 


V~3%r.£* 


ROUTE    TO    NIAGARA.  49 

12  sided ;  fluate  of  lime;  beautiful  crystals  of  sulphate 
of  lime  ;  sulph.  of  strontian  ;  pyrites;  sulphuret  of  zinc; 
sulphuret  of  lead.  Collections  of  minerals  may  be  pur 
chased  here. 

The  TUSCARORA  RESERVATION  is  an  oblong  tract  of 
land  reaching  within  a  mile  of  Lewiston.  They  emi 
grated  from  North  Carolina,  near  the  beginning  of  the 
last  century,  at  an  invitaiion  from  the  Five  Nations,  and 
were  admitted  on  equal  terms  into  their  confederacy, 
which  has  since  received  the  name  of  the  Six  Nations. 
They  have  had  a  clergyman  settled  among  them  for 
many  years,  and  Christianity  has  been  voluntarily  adopted 
by  them.  Their  village  has  some  handsome  and  well 
cultivated  farms,  and  a  house  built  for  public  worship. 

HINTS  TO  THE  TRAVELLER  AT  LEWISTON. 

It  will  be  the  intention  of  many  strangers  who  arrive 
at  this  place,  to  devote  several  days  to  viewing  the  Falls 
of  Niagara,  the  battle  grounds  in  the  vicinity,  and  per 
haps  in  making  short  excursions  in  different  directions. 
To  those  who  have  leisure,  such  a  course  may  well  be 
recommended  ;  and  it  may  be  almost  a  matter  of  indif 
ference  whether  they  first  visit  the  American  or  the  Bri 
tish  side.  The  public  accommodations  are  excellent  at 
both  places,  and  the  river  may  be  safely  crossed  at  any 
hour  of  the  day,  by  a  ferry,  at  the  expense  of  about  half 
a  dollar,  including  the  transportation  of  luggage  down 
and  up  the  steep  banks.  Staircases  are  erected  near 
the  falls,  on  the  British  as  well  as  the  American  side,  to 
furnish  a  convenient  mode  of  descending  to  the  foot  of 
the  cataract,  where  the  charge  is  25  cents  for  each  per 
son.  During  the  pleasant  seasons  of  the  year,  both 
places  are  the  resort  of  great  throngs  ofvisiters.  Stage 
coaches  also  pass  up  and  down  on  both  sides  every  day. 

To  such,  however,  as  have  but  a  short  time  to  spend 
in  this  neighbourhood,  it  may  be  strongly  recommended 
to  proceed  directly  to  the  British  side.  The  cataract  on 
that  side  is  higher,  broader,  more  unbroken,  and  gene 
rally  acknowledged  to  be  the  noblest  part  of  the  scene. 
The  visiter  may  indeed  see  it  to  great  advantage  from 
Goat  Island,  on  the  American  side,  but  the  view  from 
Table  Rock  ought  by  no  means  to  be  neglected.  The 


50  FALLS   OP   NIAGARA. 

finest  views  from  the  level  of  the  water  below  are  now  af- 
fordecLon  both  sides. 

THE  FALLS  OF  NIAGARA— -from  the  American  side. 

The  INN  or  HOTEL  is  a  large  building-,  and  very  well 
kept  and  commodious. 

On  the  American  side  a  bridge  crosses  a  frightful  part 
of  the  rapids  to  Bath  Island,  and  another  thence  to  Goat 
Island.  Part  of  a  bridge  remains,  which  extended  to  Ter 
rapin  Rocks,  and  beyond  to  the  brow  of  the  cataract.  By 
it  you  may  reach  the  Stone  Tower,  to  the  top  of  which  a 
\vinding  staircase  leads,  affording  a  most  impressive  view 
of  the  awful  scene  below. 

The  Biddle  Staircase,  erected  at  the  expense  of  Nicho 
las  Biddle,  Esq.  of  Philadelphia,  leads  from  Iris  Island  to 
the  bottom  of  the  precipice.  You  descend  first  stone 
steps  40  feet,  between  stone  walls,  then  by  88  steps  under 
a  wooden  cover,  which  brings  you  to  three  pathways  with 
stone  steps,  which  conduct  to  the  water's  edge,  whence 
the  view  upward  is  most  imposing. 

Several  picturesque  and  romantic  avenues  and  rocky 
recesses  are  to  be  seen  b,t  different  parts  of  the  river's 
banks. 

The  height  of  the  fall  on  this  side  is  160  feet  perpen 
dicular,  but  somewhat  broken  in  several  places  by  the 
projecting  rocks.  It  extends  300  yards  to  a  rock  which 
interrupts  it  on  the  brow  of  the  precipice.  A  narrow 
sheet  appears  beyond  it,  and  then  comes  Goat  Island, 
with  a  mural  precipice.  Between  this  and  the  other 
shore  is  the  Grand  Crescent,  for  which  see  a  few  pagea 
beyond.  The  long  bridge  to  the  island,  which  com 
mands  many  fine  views  of  the  falls,  rests  on  wooden 
piers  sunk  with  stones. 

The  staircase  conducts  safely  to  the  bottom  of  the  pre 
cipice  ;  and  boats  may  row  up  near  to  the  cataract. 

About  two  miles  below  the  Falls,  is  a  mineral  spring, 
said  to  contain  sulphuric  and  muriatic  acids,  lime  and 
magnesia. 

There  is  a  ferry  at  Lewiston,  which  ig  about  half  a 
mile  across;  but  the  current  is  strong  on  this  side,  and 
the  eddy  sets  up  with  such  force  on  the  other,  that  a 


BATTLE   OF   QUEENSTOWN.  51 

boat  moves  more  than  double  that  distance  in  going 
over.  The  passage  is  not  dangerous,  although  the  water 
is  much  agitated  by  counter  currents  and  changing  whirl 
pools  :  for  the  ferrymen  are  taught  by  their  experience 
to  manage  the  boat  with  care,  and  not  only  to  take  ad 
vantage  of  the  currents,  but  to  avoid  all  the  rough  places, 
ripples  and  whirlpools.  The  banks  here  have  an  appear 
ance  very  wild  and  striking. 

The  rocks  are  a  dark  red  sandstone,  with  thin  strata 
of  a  more  clayey  character  and  a  lighter  colour,  occur 
ring  every  few  feet.  The  river  is  104  feet  lower  than  at 
the  foot  of  the  falls. 

QDEENSTOWN,  on  the  Canada  side  of  the  river,  is  a 
small  town,  uninteresting,  except  so  far  as  regards  its 
natural  situation,  and  some  martial  events  of  which  it  has 
been  the  theatre. 

The  Battle  of  Queenstown.  During  the  last  war 
between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  in  1812, 
while  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  was  stationed  at  Lewiston, 
he  formed  the  bold  design  of  taking  Queenstown;  and, 
before  daylight  in  the  morning  of  October  13th,  he  em 
barked  his  troops  at  the  ferry,  and  passed  over  the  river 
under  cover  of  a  battery.  As  the  accessible  points  on  the 
coast  were  strictly  watched,  and  defended  by  batteries  of 
some  strength,  the  place  selected  for  the  attack  was  the 
lofty  and  precipitous  bank  just  above,  about  300  feet  high. 
Two  or  three  small  batteries  had  been  erected  on  the 
brow,  the  remains  of  which  are  still  visible  ;  but  the  land 
ing  was  effected,  the  heights  were  surmounted,  and  the 
Americans  commenced  a  brisk  action  on  the  summit. 
Gen.  Brock,  who  was  at  a  distance,  hearing  the  guns, 
hastened  to  the  spot ;  but  under  a  tree  near  the  precipice 
was  killed  by  a  chance  shot.  The  Americans  remained 
in  possession  of  the  heights  a  few  hours,  but  were  then 
obliged  to  re-cross  the  river. 

The  Monument  to  General  Brock  was  raised  by 
the  British  government  in  the  year  1824  ;  and  the  remains 
of  Gen.  Brock  were  deposited  there.  Its  height  was  126 
feet ;  and  the  view  from  the  base  is  very  fine  and  exten 
sive,  being  350  feet  above  the  river.  In  clear  weather 
the  eye  embraces  not  only  the  river  below,  and  the  towns 
of  Lewiston  and  Queenstown,  but  those  of  Newark  and 


52  FALLS   OF  NIAGARA. 

Fort  Niagara,  at  the  entrance  of  Lake  Ontario,  Toronto 
harbour,  Youngstown,  part  of  the  route  of  the  Welland 
Canal,  a  vast  level  tract  of  country  covered  with  an  uni 
form  forest,  and  the  horizon  formed  by  the  distant  lake 
itself. 

It  has  been  lately  blown  up  with  gunpowder  by  some 
unknown  person. 

From  Queenstown  to  Niagara  Falls  is  seven  miles, 
over  a  level,  sandy  road. 

The  country  between  Niagara  and  Toronto,  U.  C.  is  con 
sidered  the  most  beautiful,  most  fertile,  and  best  culti 
vated  part  of  the  province. 

The  WHIRLPOOL,  sometimes  called  the  Devil's  Hole, 
cannot  be  seen  without  leaving  the  road  and  going  to 
the  bank.  The  rocks  are  about  300  feet  above  the  wa 
ter;  and  during  the  late  war  50  Americans  were  driven 
off  by  a  party  of  Indians,  in  tho  night,  mistaking  the 
trees  for  the  verge  of  a  wood.  One  was  saved  by  falling 
into  a  cedar. 

A  leisurely  walk  the  whole  distance,  near  the  river, 
may  please  the  admirer  of  nature;  as  the  high  and  rocky 
cliffs  which  form  the  banks  on  both  sides  present  a  con 
tinued  succession  of  striking  scenes. 

Although  the  surface  of  the  ground  frequently  indicates 
the  passage  of  water  in  some  long  past  period,  the  whole 
road  is  much  elevated  above  the  river,  and  owing  to  this 
circumstance  the  traveller  is  disappointed  at  not  getting  a 
sight  of  a  cataract  from  a  distance,  as  it  remains  conceal 
ed  by  the  banks,  until  he  has  approached  very  near.  It 
frequently  happens,  also,  that  the  roar  of  the  cataract  is 
not  perceived  before  reaching  the  inn,  for  the  intervening 
bank  intercepts  the  sound  so  much  that  the  noise  of  the 
wheels  is  sometimes  sufficient  to  drown  it  entirely.  Yet, 
strange  as  it  may  appear,  the  inhabitants  declare,  that  at 
the  same  time  it  may  very  probably  be  heard  on  the  shore 
of  Lake  Ontario. 

THE  FALLS  OF  NIAGARA— From  the  British  side. 

There  are  large  Inns  and  Hotels  on  the  Canadian  side 
of  the  river,  situated  as  near  the  falls  as  could  be 
desired.  One  stands  on  what  ought  strictly  to  be  called 


TABLE    ROCK.  f»3 

the  upper  lank,  for  that  elevation  appears  to  have  once 
formed  the  river's  shore.  This  is  the  larger  house ;  the 
galleries  and  windows  in  the  rear  command  a  fine  view 
of  the  cataract,  although  not  an  entire  one,  and  overlook 
the  rapids  and  river  for  several  miles  above. 

Following  a  footpath  through  the  pasture  behind  For- 
syth's,  the  stranger  soon  finds  himself  on  the  steep  brow 
of  the  second  bank,  and  the  mighty  cataract  of  Niagara 
suddenly  opens  beneath  him. 

TABLE  ROCK  is  a  projection  a  few  yards  from  the  ca 
taract,  which  commands  a  fine  view  of  this  magnificent 
scene.  Indeed  it  is  usually  considered  the  finest  point  of 
view.  The  height  of  the  fall  on  this  side  is  said  to  be 
174  feet  perpendicular;  and  this  height  the  vast  sheet  of 
foam  preserves  unbroken,  quite  round  the  Grand  Crescent, 
a  distance,  it  is  estimated  of  700  yards.  The  distance 
from  Table  Rock  lo  Termination  Rock  is  153  feet  Goat 
Island  divides  the  cataract,  and  just  beyond  it  stands  an 
isolated  rock.  The  fall  OP  the  American  side  is  in 
breadth  900  feet,  the  height  160,  and  about  two  thirds 
the  distance  to  the  bottom  the  sheet  is  broken  by  project 
ing  rocks.  A  bridge  built  from  the  American  side  con 
nects  Goat  Island  and  the  main  land,  though  invisible  from 
this  spot. 

It  may  be  recommended  to  the  traveller  to  visit  this 
place  as  often  as  he  can,  and  to  view  it  from  every  neigh 
bouring  point;  as  every  change  of  light  exhibits  it  under 
a  different  and  interesting  aspect.  The  rainbows  are  to 
be  seen,  from  this  side,  only  in  the  afternoon ;  but  at 
that  time  the  clouds  of  mist,  which  are  continually  rising 
from  the  gulf  below,  often  present  them  in  the  utmost 
beauty. 

Dr.  Dwight  gives  the  following  estimates,  in  his  Tra 
vels,  of  the  quantity  of  water  which  passes  the  cataract 
of  Niagara.  The  river  at  the  ferry  is  7  furlongs  wide, 
and  on  an  average  25  feet  deep.  The  current  probably 
runs  six  miles  an  hour;  but  supposing  it  to  be  only  5 
miles,  the  quantity  that  passes  the  falls  in  an  hour,  is 
more  than  85  millions  of  tons  avoirdupois  ;  if  we  suppose 
it  to  be  6,  it  will  be  more  than  102  millions ;  and  in  a  day 
would  be  2400  millions  of  tons.  The  noise,  it  is  said,  is 


54  KAP1DS. 

sometimes'heard  at  Toronto,  50  miles."1  Table  Rock  is  66 
feet  below  the  level  of  Lake  Erie. 

The  RAPIDS  begin  about  half  a  mile  above  the  ca 
taract.  The  inhabitants  of  the  neighbourhood  regard  it 
as  certain  death  to  get  once  involved  in  them.  Instances 
are  on  record  of  persons  being  carried  down  by  the 
stream  ;  but  no  one  is  known  to  have  ever  survived.  In 
deed,  it  is  very  rare  that  the  bodies  are  found.  Wild 
ducks,  geese,  &c.  are  frequently  precipitated  over  the  ca 
taract,  and  generally  reappear  either  dead  or  with  their 
legs  or  wings  broken. 

The  most  sublime  scene  is  presented  to  the  observer 
when  he  views  the  cataract  from  below;  and  there  he 
may  have  an  opportunity  of  going  under  the  cataract. 
This  scene  is  represented  in  the  plate.  To  render  the 
descent  practicable,  a  spiral  staircase  has  been  formed  a 
little  way  from  Table  Rock,  supported  by  a  tall  mast ;  and 
the  stranger  descends  without  fear,  because  his  view  is 
confined.  On  reaching  the  bottom,  a  rough  path  among 
the  rocks  winds  alongat  the  foot  of  the  precipice,  although 
the  heaps  of  loose  stones  which  have  fallen  down,  keep  it 
at  a  considerable  height  above  the  water.  A  large  rock 
lies  on  the  very  brink  of  the  river,  about  15  feet  long  and 
8  feet  thick,  which  you  may  climb  up  by  means  of  a  lad 
der,  and  enjoy  the  best  central  view  of  the  falls  anywhere 
to  be  found.  This  rock  was  formerly  a  part  of  the  pro 
jection  above,  and  fell  about  20  years  ago,  with  a  tremen 
dous  roar. 

In  proceeding  nearer  to  the  sheet  of  falling  water,  the 
path  leads  far  under  the  excavated  bank,  which  in  one 
place  forms  a  roof  that  overhangs  about  40  feet.  The 
vast  column  of  water  continually  pouring  over  the  preci 
pice,  produces  violent  whirls  in  the  air;  and  the  spray  is 
driven  out  with  such  force,  that  no  one  can  approach  to 
the  edge  of  the  cataract,  or  even  stand  a  few  moments 
near  it,  without  being  drenched  to  the  skin.  It  is  also 
very  difficult  to  breathe  there,  so  that  persons  with  weak 
lungs  would  act  prudently  to  content  themselves  with  a 
distant  view,  and  by  no  means  to  attempt  to  go  nnder 
the  cataract.  The  celebrated  navigator  captain  Basil 
Hall,  on  a  visit  here  in  1827,  found  that  the  air  under 


OF    NIAGARA.  55' 

the  cataract  is  not  compressed:  but  he  considered  the 
gusts  of  wind  more  violent  than  any  gals  he  had  ever 
witnessed.  Those  who  are  desirous  of  exploring  this 
tremendous  cavern,  should  attend  very  carefully  to  their 
sieps. 

In  the  summer  of  1827,  an  old  schooner  called  the 
Michigan, 4was  towed  by  a  row  boat  to  the  margin  of  the 
rapids,  where  she  was  abandoned  to  her  fale.  Thousands' 
of  persons  had  assembled  to  witness  the  descent.  A- 
number  of  wild  animals  had  been  inhumanly  placed  on  her 
deck,  confined,  to  pass  t.he  cataract  with  her.  She  pass 
ed  the  first  fall  of  the  rapids  in  safety,  but  struck  a  rock 
at  the  second  and  lost  her  masts.  There  she  remained 
an  instant,  until  the  current  turned  her  round  and  bore 
her  away.  A  bear  here  leaped  overboard  and  swam  to 
the  shore.  The  vessel  soon  filled  and  sank,  so  that  only 
her  upper  works  were  afterwards  visible.  She  went  over 
the  cataract  almost  without  being  seen,  and  in  a  few  tno-- 
ments  the  basin  was  perceived  all  scattered  with  her  frag 
ments,  which  were  very  small  A  cat  arid  a  goose  were 
the  only  animals  found  alive  below. 

The  BURNING  SPRING.  About  half  a  mile  above  the 
falls,  and  within  a  few  feet  of  the  rapids  in  Niagara  Ri 
ver,  is  a  remarkable  Burning  Spring.  The  water,  which 
is  warm,  turbid,  and  surcharged  with  sulphurated  hydro 
gen  gas,  rises  in  a  barrel  which  has  been  placed  in  the 
ground,  and  is  constantly  in  a  state  of  ebullition.  The 
barrel  is  covered,  and  the  gas  escapes  only  through  a  cop 
per  tube.  On  bringing  a  candle  within  a  little  distance 
of  it,  the  gas  takes  fire,  and  continues  to  burn  with  a 
bright  flame  until  blown  out. 

While  on  the  Canada  side  of  the  falls,  the  visiter  may 
vary  his  time  very  agreeably,  by  visiting  the  village  of 
Chippewaand  Lnndy's  Lane,  in  this  vicinity;  which,  dur 
ing  the  late  war  with  Great  Britain,  were  the  scenes  of 
two  sharp  contests. 

The  BATTLE  OF  CHIPPEWA.     In  July,  1814,  the  Bri 
tish  and  American  armies  being  near  each  other,  General 
Ripley  ordered  General  Scoti   to   make  an  advance  on 
Chippewa,  on  the  3d  of  July,  with  Captain  Towaon's  di- 
6 


56  BATTLE   OF   CHIPPEWA. 

vision  of  artillery  ;  and  the  enemy's  pickets  were  soon 
forced  to  retire  across  the  bridge.  General  Ripley  came 
up  in  the  afternoon  and  encamped  with  General  Scott's 
advance. 

The  stranger  may  be  gratified  by  examining  the  field  of 
these  operations,  by  going  to  Chippewa  Village,  about 
two  miles  above  Forsyth's.  The  American  encampment 
of  July  23d,  is  in  the  rear  of  a  tavern  near  the  road,  about 
a  mile  beyond  Chippewa. 

On  the  5th,  after  some  sharp  shooting,  the  Indians 
were  discovered  almost  in  the  rear  of  the  American  camp. 
At  this  moment  General  Porter  arrived  with  his  volunteers 
and  Indians.  General  Brown  immediately  directed  them, 
to  enter  the  woods  and  effectually  scour  them.  Gens. 
Brown,  Scott,  and  Ripley  were  at  the  white  house,  in 
advance,  reconnoitering.  General  Porter's  corps  had  al 
most  debouched  from  the  woods  opposite  Chippewa,  when 
the  whole  British  force  had  crossed  the  Chippewa  Bridge, 
and  General  Scott  advanced,  and  Gen.  Ripley  was  in 
readiness  to  support.  In  a  few  minutes  the  British  line 
was  discovered  formed  and  rapidly  advancing — their  right 
(the  Royal  Scots)  upon  the  woods,  and  their  left  (the 
Prince  Regent's)  on  the  river,  with  the  king's  own  for 
their  reserve.  Their  object  was  to  gain  the  bridge  across 
the  crock  in  front  of  the  encampment,  which  would  have 
compelled  the  Americans  to  retire.  Gen.  Brown,  fearing 
a  flank  movement  of  the  enemy  through  the  woods  on  the 
left,  directed  General  Ripley  not  to  advance  until  he  gave 
him  orders.  Meanwhile  General  Scott,  under  a  most 
tremendous  fire  from  the  enemy's  artillery,  crossed  the 
bridge,  and  formed  his  line.  The  British  orders  were  to 
give  one  volley  at  a  distance,  and  immediately  charge. 
But  such  was  the  warmth  of  our  musquetry  that  they 
could  not  withstand  it.  At  this  moment  General  Brown 
sent  orders  to  General  Ripley  to  make  a  movement 
through  the  woods  upon  the  enemy's  right  flank.  With 
the  2ist  regiment  he  passed  a  ravine  in  his  front,  where 
the  men  had  to  wade  up  to  their  chins,  and  advanced  as 
rapidly  as  possible.  But  before  he  commenced  filing  from 
the  woods  into  the  open  land  under  the  enemy's  batteries, 


BATTLE   OF   BRIDGKWATER.  57 

they  had  been  completely  broken  by  General  Scott's  bri 
gade,  and  threw  themselves  across  the  Chippewa  Bridge, 
which  they  broke  down. 

Although  the  Americans  were  not  able  to  cross  the 
creek,  the  British  thought  proper  to  evacuate  Chippewa 
very  precipitately,  and  to  retreat  towards  Queenstown. 

In  this  affair  the  British  loss,  in  killed,  wounded  and 
missing,  was  514,  and  the  American  loss  328. 

Nothing  of  importance  occurred  after  this  until  the 
25th  of  the  same  month,  the  date  of 

The  BATTLE  OF  BRIHGEWATER,  or  LUNDY'S  LANE. 
The  principal  scene  of  this  hard-fought  and  bloody  action 
is  about  a  mile  from  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  at  an  obscure 
road,  called  Lundy'.*  Lane.  Since  their  retreat  from 
Chippewa,  the  enemy  had  received  reinforcements  of 
troops  from  Lord  Wellington's  army  in  Spain  ;  and  on 
the  25th  of  July  encamped  on  a  hill,  with  the  design  of 
attacking  the  American  camp  the  next  morning.  At  6 
in  the  evening,  General  Brown  ordered  General  Scott  to 
advance  and  attack  them,  which  was  immediately  done  ; 
and  in  conjunction  with  General  Ripley  the  attack  was 
commenced  in  an  hour.  The  Britidh  were  much  surpris 
ed  at  seeing  the  approach  of  their  enemy  at  this  hour, 
not  having  discovered  them  until  they  left  the  woods 
and  began  to  march  across  the  open  level  fields  seen 
from  Forsyth's  Hotel,  and  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the 
left. 

The  following  letter,  written  by  a  surgeon  of  one  of 
the  American  regiments,  the  day  after  the  engagement, 
contains  some  interesting  particulars: 

"  The  enemy  had  collected  their  whole  force  in  the 
peninsula,  and  were  reinforced  by  troops  from  Lord  Wel 
lington's  army,  just  landed  from  Kingston.  For  two 
hours  the  two  hostile  lines  were  within  twenty  yards  of 
each  other,  and  so  frequently  intermingled,  that  often  an 
officer  would  order  an  enemy's  platoon.  The  moon  shtne 
bright  ;  but  part  of  our  men  being  dressed  like  the  Glen- 
garian  regiment  caused  the  deception.  They  frequently 
charged,  and  were  as  often  driven  back  Our  regiment, 
under  Colonel  Miller,  was  ordered  to  storm  the  British 
battery.  We  charged,  and  took  every  piece  of  the  ene- 


58  WELLAND    CANAL. 

my's  cannon.  We  kept  possession  of  the  ground  and 
cannon  until  12  o'clock  at  night,  when  we  all  fell  back 
more  than  two  miles.  This  was  done  to  secure  our  camp, 
which  might  otherwise  have  been  attacked  in  the  rear. 
Our  horses  being  most  of  them  killed,  and  there  being 
no  ropes  to  the  pieces,  we  got  off  but  two  or  three.  The 
men  wore  so  excessively  fatigued  they  could  not  drag 
them.  We  lost  one  piece  of  cannon,  which  was  too 
much  advanced,  every  man  being  shot  that  had  charge  of 
it,  but  two  Several  of  our  caissons  were  blown  up  by 
their  rockets,  which  did  some  injury,  and  deprived  our 
cannon  of  ammunition.  The  lines  were  so  near  that  can 
non  could  not  be  used  with  advantage." 

The  British  lost,  in  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners, 
878  ;  and  the  Americans  860. 

The  Welland  canal  begins  near  the  mouth  of  Grand 
River,  Upper  Canada,  empties  itself  into  Lake  Erie, 
about  10  miles  from  Niagara.  It  will  admit  the  largest 
vessels  on  the  lakes,  viz.  those  of  125  tons.  Here  is 

Port  Maitland,  which  is  capable  of  receiving  a  number 
of  vessels  such  as  navigate  the  Lake,  for  which  the  Canal 
is  calculated. 

Grand  River  serves  as  a  part  of  the  navigable  line  for 
a  distance  of  128  chains  ;  and  then  Broad  Creek  for  70 
chain?,  The  excavations  there  commence,  and  the  Canal 
enters  the 

Mainflect  Marsh.  This  is  a  tract  of  swampy  land, 
elevated  only  about  8  feet  above  the  level  of  Lake  Erie, 
and  extending  from  its  shore  to  Welland  or  Chippewa 
River  The  canal  passes  it  by  a  thorough  cut  ten  miles 
long  and  varying  from  10  to  16  feet  in  depth,  communi 
cating  with  many  ponds  and  pools.  It  is  a  fact  well  esta 
blished  by  scientific  surveyors,  that  only  a  narrow  ledge 
of  rocks  occurs  between  the  two  lakes,  and  that,  if  this 
were  removed,  the  soil  is  generally  of  so  loose  a  nature, 
that  a  current  of  water  might  soon  wear  away  a  deep 
channel,  drain  off  Lake  Erie,  and  cause  a  tremendous 
inundation.  This  barrier  will  be  seen  at  the  Mountain 
Ridge,  on  the  northern  part  of  the  Canal,  where  the  de- 
ecent  is  above  300  feet.  From  Lake  Erie  to  that  place 
the  stranger  will  observe  that,  he  proceeds  on  an  almost 
uninterrupted  level.  The  continuation  of  the  Mountain 


PAtLS    OF    NIAGARA.  59 

Ridge  forms  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  and  the  elevation 
t)f  ground  at  Lockport,  surmounted  by  the  noble 
Vvorks  at  that  place.  It  runs  for  many  miles,  presenting 
towards  the  east  an  irregular  line  of  precipice,  with  sali 
ent  and  re*entering  angles,  like  an  immense  fortification. 
Most  of  the  streams  which  fall  over  it  pour  down  the 
ravines  thus  formed. 

The  Welfand  River,  a  very  sluggish  stream,  is  used 
for  10  miles,  being  entered  by  a  lock  of  8  feet  lift,  a  tow 
ing  path  being  formed  along  its  bank. 

On  leaving  Welland  River,  the  boats  pass  a  ravine  66 
chains  in  length,  where  the  excavations  are  8  or  10  feet 
deep. 

The  Deep  Cut.  We  approach  a  part  of  the  canal  in 
which  the  greatest  labour  and  expense  were  required. 
It  extends  If  miles,  and  required  the  excavation  of  1,477," 
700  cubic  yards  of  earth.  The  excavation  is  to  an  aver 
age  depth  of  45  feet.  The  ground  is  undulating,  and  the 
greatest  depth  is  56  feet. 

The  Mountain  Ridge.  Within  the  extent  of  a  mile 
and  55  chains  are  17  locks  of  22  feet  by  100,  which  over 
come  nearly  the  whole  elevation  of  Lake  Erie  above  On 
tario.  The  canal  winds  along  the  face  of  the  descent, 
being  on  the  left  and  right,  to  give  room  for  reservoirs 
between  the  locks,  necessary  for  a  convenient  supply  of 
water.  None  of  the  locks  are  less  than  30  yards  apart. 
This  is  the  only  part  of  the  route  where  rocks  were  to  be 
excavated,  and  the  amount  of  rock  removed  here  was 
70,000  cubic  yards. 

At  the  foot  of  this  long  and  steep  descent  the  canal  en 
ters  a  ravine,  which  extends  2£  miles  through  12  locks, 
between  high  banks,  to 

St.  Catherine's.  The  descent  from  the  top  of  the 
ridge  to  this  place  is  322  feet.  To  Lake  Ontario  from 
this  place,  5  miles,  there  are  4  locks,  32  feet  by  125,  and 
one  of  10  feet  lift.  The  route  runs  chiefly  along  the  val 
ley  of  the  principal  branch  of  the  Twelve  Mile  Creek. 

Port  Dalhousie,  the  harbour  of  the  Welland  Canal  on 
Lake  Ontario,  is  protected  by  two  fine  piers,  run  out  200 
or  350  yards,  nearly  at  the  angle  of  storm,  wbieh  is  about 
80  degrees  west. 


60  THE    WESTERN    LAKES. 

The  locks  are  of  wood,  but  built  on  the  most  approved 
principles.  The  common  dimensions  are  100  feet  long1, 
22  wide  and  8  deep  ;  and  are  calculated  for  vessels  of 
from  100  to  125  tons  burthen. 

Toronto,  the  capital  of  Upper  Canada,  is  n  place  of  con 
siderable  size.  The  public  buildings  make  little  figure. 
The  habour  is  very  fine,  protected  by  defensive  works  on 
Gibraltar  Point.  King's  College  is  of  recent  institution, 
and  bears  the  style  and  privileges  of  a  university. 

The  traveller  has  now  entered  the  great  valley  of  the  St. 
Lawrence,  which  embraces  the  five  great  lakes ;  Supe 
rior,  Huron,  Michigan,  Erie  and  Ontario,  as  well  as 
Champlain  and  its  beautiful  tributary,  Lake  George.  Its 
length  is  nearly  1800  miles,  and  area  about  halt  a  million, 
of  which  about  73,000  are  water.  Here  were  the  scenes 
of  the  early  French  discoveries,  and  the  Jesuit  missions 
among  the  Indians,  many  of  whom,  with  the  idolatry  of 
Home,  were  taught  implacable  hatred  against  the  protest- 
ants  of  New-England  and  New-York.  Here  were  the 
scenes  of  most  of  the  battles  fought  between  the  French 
and  English,  and  here  may  be  seen  traces  of  many  of  their 
fortresses.  Here  also  were  the  scenes  of  many  of  the  later 
military  operations  between  the  English  and  our  own 
countrymen.  The  traveller  will  more  highly  enjoy  a  jour 
ney  in  any  part  of  this  region,  if  he  prepares  himself  by  a 
recurrence  to  some  book  of  history  relating  to  it. 

The  French  excited  and  led  the  Indians  against  the 
English  colonies,  and  committed  numerous  depredations, 
for  many  years:  but,  after  many  unsuccessful  attempts, 
were  finally  subdued  in  1759,  by  Gen.  Wolfe.  In  1775 
the  Americans  took  Montreal  from  the  English,  and  some 
other  pans  of  Lower  Canada  :  but  they  were  obliged  to 
evacuate  the  country  the  next  year.  In  the  war  of  1812, 
they  made  a  similar  attempt,  but  without  success. 

THE  WESTERN  LAKKS.  Ontario  is  180  miles  long,  40 
miles  wide,  500  feet  deep  ;  and  its  surface  is  computed  at 
218  feet  above  the  elevation  of  tide  water  at  Three  Ri 
vers,  270  miles  below  Cape  Vincent.  It  is  330  feet  below 
Lake  Erie. 

Erie  is  270  miles  long,  60  miles  wide,  200  feet  deep; 
and  its  surface  is  565  feet  above  tide  water  at  Albany. 


BATTLE   OF    ERIK,  61 

Huron  is  250  miles  long-,  100  miles  average  breadth,  900 
feet  deep ;  and  its  surface  is  nearly  595  feet  above  the 
tide  water. 

Michigan  is  400  miles  long,  50  wide,  depth  unknown; 
elevation  the  same  as  Huron. 

Green  Bay  is  about  105  miles  long,  20  miles  wide, 
depth  unknown;  elevation  tho  same  as  Huron  and  Mi 
chigan. 

Lake  Superior  is  459  miles  long,  109  miles  average 
width,  900  feet  deep;  and  its  surface  1048  feet  above  the 
tide  water. 

Hence  the  bottom  of  Lake  Erie  is  not  as  low  as  the  foot 
of  Niagara  Falls  ;  but  the  bottom  of  each  of  the  other  lakes 
it  will  be  observed,  is  lower  than  the  surface  of  the  ocean. 
Lake  Superior  is  the  head  fountain,  the  grand  reservoir 
of  the  mighty  volume.  After  making  a  semicircle  of  five 
degrees  to  the  south,  accommodating  and  enriching  one  of 
the  most  fertile  and  interesting  sections  of  the  globe,  it 
meets  the  tide  a  distance  of  2000  miles  from  its  source, 
and  5000  from  the  extreme  point  of  its  estuary,  on  the  At 
lantic  coast. 

The  lakes  are  said  to  have  a  periodical  rise  once  in 
twelve  years.  It  occurred  in  1815  and  1827. 

The  Ferry  across  Niagara  river  is  about  half  a  mile  be 
low  the  Falls,  and  may  be  crossed  at  any  hour  in  the  day, 
without  danger,  notwithstanding  the  rapidity  of  the  current. 
The  descent  from  the  bank  is  so  steep,  that  it  has  been 
necessary  to  build  a  staircase. 

To  Buffalo,  on  the  Canada  side,  28<|  miles,  to  Chip- 
pewa  2,  Waterloo  (Fort  Erie)  16,  (over  the  ferry  to  Black 
Rock,  25  cents  each  passenger,)  to  Buffalo  2£. 

Opposite  Buffalo,  in  Waterloo,  are  the  remains  of  Fort 
Erie,  a  fortress  of  great  consequence  in  the  late  war. — 
There  was  a  strong  wall,  surrounded  with  entrenchments 
reaching  to  the  lake.  The  remains  of  the  British  camp 
are  also  seen,  and  the  trees  are  still  wounded  with  shot. 

BATTLE  OF  ERIE.  On  the  17th  of  September,  1814,  a 
severe  action  was  fought  at  a  little  distance  from  Fort  Erie, 
•when  a  part  of  the  American  garrison,  1000  regulars  and 
1000  militia,  made  a  sortie,  and  took  the  British  works, 
about  500  yards  in  front  of  their  line.  The  British  had 
two  batteries  on  their  left,  which  annoyed  the  fort,  and 


63  JuttiM  of 

>iverc  about  opening  a  third.  Their  camp  was  about  two 
miles  distant,  sheltered  by  a  wood:  their  works  were  gar* 
iisoned  with  one  third  of  their  infantry,  from  12  to  1500 
men,  and  a  detachment  of  artillery. 

Gen.  Porter  with  the  volunteers,  Col.  Gibson  with  the 
riflemen,  and  Maj.  Brooks  with  the  23d  and  21st  light 
infantry,  and  a  few  dismounted  dragoons,  were  sent  from 
the  extreme  left  of  the  American  position,  by  a  passage 
cut  through  the  woods,  towards  the  enemy's  right ;  and 
Gen.  Miller  was  stationed  in  the  ravine  between  the  fort 
and  the  enemy's  batteries ;  while  Gen.  Ilipley  had  a  re 
serve  under  the  bastions. 

A  little  before  3  P.  M.  the  left  columns  commenced 
their  attack  on  the  enemy's  right,  and  Gen.  Miller  at  the 
same  time  pushed  forward  between  Nos.  2  and  3  of  the 
batteries,  broke  their  line,  and  took  their  two  block 
houses.  Battery  No.  1  was  soon  after  deserted,  the 
guns  were  spiked,  and  the  magazine  of  No.  3  was  blown 
Up.  Gen.  Ripley  was  wounded,  and  Col.  Gibson  killed. 
The  action  lasted  about  an  hour,  which  gave  time  for  tho 
remaining  two*thirds  of  the  enemy's  force  to  march  from 
their  camp  and  partake  in  it  The  Americans  at  length 
retired  with  prisoners,  having  succeeded  in  their  object. 
The  British  suffered  so  much,  that  Lieut.  Gen.  Drum- 
mond  broke  up  his  camp  on  the  21st,  and  retired  to  his 
intrenchments  behind  the  Chippevva  River. 

To  Buffalo,  on  the  American  side,  30|  miles.  Tona- 
\vanta  Creek,  where  the  canal  passes,  11  miles;  Black 
Rock,  10  miles  ;  Buffalo,  2£  miles. 

To  Fort  George,  14  miles.  Queenstown,  7  miles  ; 
Fort  George,  7  miles. 

[The  route  from  Niagara  to  Albany  and  the  Springs 
will  be  taken  up  after  the  route  to  Montreal.]— See  p.  66. 

ROUTE  FROM  NIAGARA  TO  MONTREAL, 
392  miles. 

Those  who  have  never  travelled  through  the  state  of 
New- York,  and  have  leisure  to  make  so  circuitous  a 
route,  will  prefer  to  go  to  Buffalo,  Lockport,  or  Roches 
ter,  and  take  the  line  of  the  railroads  or  Erie  Canal,  the 
Springs,  Lake  George,  and  Lake  Champlain,  in  their  way 


ROUTE   FROM   NIAGARA   TO   MONTREAL.  63 

to  Montreal.  Many,  however,  will  prefer  to  take  the  more 
direct  route,  which  is  by  the  steamboats  through  Lake 
Ontario,  and  is  performed  in  about  two  days.  The  Ame 
rican  boats  go  from  Fort  Niagara  to  Ogdensburgh,  keep 
ing  towards  the  southern  shore,  and  touching  at  the  prin 
cipal  ports.  The  British  boats  make  a  few  stops,  but 
steer  a  course  very  near  the  middle  of  the  lake,  which  is 
the  boundary  between  the  two  countries  :  they  are  usually 
out  of  sight  of  land  about  twelve  hours. 

From  Niagara  to  Montreal  in  the  American  steam 
boats,  414  miles  ;  stagecoach  to  Lewiston,  7  m.  ;  steam 
boat  on  Lake  Ontario  to  Fort  Niagara,  7  ;*  Genesee  river, 
74;  Great  Sodus  Bay,  35;  Odwcgo,  28;  Sackett's  Har 
bour,  40  ;  Cape  Vincent.  20  ;  Morristown,  50  ;  Ogdens- 
burgh,  12;  Prescott,  U.  C.,  1  ;  Dickinson's  Landing, 
30;  stagecoach  to  Cornwall,  12;  steamboat  to  Coteau 
du  Lac,  41;  stagecoach  to  the  Cascades,  16;  steamboat 
to  Lachine,  24;  stagecoach  to  Montreal,  9. 

Do.  British  steamboats,  449  miles;  stagecoach  to 
Lewiston,  7  ;  steamboat  to  Fort  George,  7  ;  Toronto, 
U.  C.  30;  Port  Hope,  65;  Coburg,  7;  Kingston,  105; 
Gananoque,  24;  Brockville,  32;  Prescotr,  12.  See  above. 

Port  Gencsee,  72  miles  at  the  mouth  of  the  Genesee 
River,  is  a  port  of  entry  and  delivery.  Here  are  a  cus 
tom  house,  and  the  village  of  Charlotte,  in  Monroe 
county.  This  river  rises  in  Pennsylvania,  and  runs  a 
gently  winding  course  about  125  miles  in  the  state  of 
New-York.  It  is  navigable  only  four  miles  from  its 
mouth,  to  Carthage,  where  the  banks  are  high,  rocky, 
and  perpendicular;  and  there  is  a  line  fall  (104  feet,  in 
cluding  the  rapids,  &c.)  about  half  a  mile  above.  Stage 
coaches  are  in  waiting  for  Rochester,  6  miles.  See 
Carthage,  page  46. 

Great  Sodus  Bay,  35  m.  Here  are  three  bays  in 
succession :  Sodus,  East,  and  Port  Bays.  There  are 
three  islands,  and  Port  Glascow  is  at  the  head  of  the 
bay,  only  10^  miles  from  Clyde,  on  the  canal,  with  a 
good  road  to  it. 

Oswego,  28  m.  This  village  is  situated  at  the  mouth 
of  Odwego  River,  and  has  a  good  harbour,  with  10  feet 
water.  Navigation  on  the  river  ends  half  a  mile  above, 

*  The  old  Franch  fort  Frontenac,  destroyed  in  1758. 


64  FOUT   09WKQO. 

except  for  boats,  which  go  12  miles  farther.  A  very 
large  button-wood  tree,  35^  feet  in  circumference,  is 
seen  a  mile  from  the  village  near  the  road. 

This  place  had  a  rapid  growth.  The  Oswego  Canal 
joins  the  Erie  Canal  at  Salina,  and  will  afford  an  interest 
ing  excursion  either  way.  From  the  head  of  the  falls  to 
the  village,  it  leads  along  the  river's  bank,  preserving  the 
elevated  level  almost  to  the  brow  of  the  hill  over  the 
lake,  and  then  descends  by  locks.  For  the  distance  of  a 
mile,  the  interval  between  the  canal  and  the  river  affords 
the  most  advantageous  situations  for  manufactories  of  vari 
ous  descriptions.  Lake  vessels  can  lie  on  one  side  of  the 
manufactories  and  canal  boats  on  the  other;  and  Congress 
have  appropriated  money  for  protecting  the  harbour  with 
piers.  The  lake  is  70  miles  wide  opposite  Oswego. 

FORT  OSWEGO,  so  famous  in  the  history  of  the  Frenc 
and  revolutionary  wars,  stands  on  the  east  side  of  the 
river.  The  situation  was  very  advantageous  for  the 
command  of  a  large  extent  of  country,  as  this  river  is 
the  common  outlet  of  all  the  interior  lakes  of  the  state. 
While  this  post  was  held  alternately  by  the  French  and 
English,  they  could  command  a  great  part  of  the  trade 
with  the  Five  Nations  of  Indians,  who  inhabited  the 
country  with  which  it  communicated. 

Fort  Oswego  is  elevated  only  about  50  feet  from  the 
level  of  the  water;  and  being  overlooked  by  the  emi 
nence  on  which  Fort  Ontario  was  afterwards  erected, 
was  fit  only  for  a  defence  in  early  times.  A  trading 
house  was  built  here  in  1722,  and  a  fort  five  years  after. 
This  wa*  extended  in  the  beginning  of  the  French  war 
of  1755,  when  Fort  Ontario  was  built.  On  the  follow 
ing  year,  General  Montcalm  came  from  Canada,  and 
besieged  the  fortresses  with  3,000  troops,  and  two  vessels. 
Fort  Ontario  was  evacuated  after  one  attack ;  and  on 
the  following  day,  August  14th,  Fort  Oswego  surren 
dered  to  the  French,  with  a  large  quantity  of  stores 
brought  at  great  expense  through  the  wilderness,  and  21 
cannon,  14  mortars,  &c.  also  two  sloops,  and  about  200 
boats.  The  captors,  however,  did  not  think  proper  to 
hold  the  position,  but  immediately  abandoned  it. 

Col.  St.  Leger  attempted  to  approach  Albany  by  this 
route  in  1777,  in  order  to  co-operate  with  Gen.  Bur- 


ROUTK    FROM    NIAGARA    TO    MOHTREAL.  65 

goyne ;  but  he  was  repulsed  at  Fort  Stanvvix  by  Col. 
Willet,  and  obliged  to  return. 

In  1814,  on  the  6th  of  May,  the  British  attacked  the 
place,  and,  after  a  loss  of  about  100  men,  got  possession 
of  it,  but  evacuated  it  the  next  day. 

SACKETT'S  HARBOUR,  40m.  Settled  in  1801.  In  the 
late  war,  it  became  an  important  naval  station,  and  in 
creased  very  rapidly  It  is  8  miles  distant  from  the  lake, 
on  Hounslow  Bay.  The  harbour  is  divided  into  two  by  a 
narrow  point,  and  offers  great  advantages  for  ship  build 
ing. 

"MORRISTOWN.  This  is  a  small  village,  10  miles  from 
Ogdensburgh.  The  river  is  a  little  more  than  a  mile  in 
breadth,  and  on  the  opposite  side  is  Brockville.  There 
ia  a  number  of  rocky  islands  in  the  St.  Lawrence,  and 
the  gentle  slope  of  the  land  on  the  New-York  shore,  adds 
a  great  degree  of  beauty  to  the  scene. 

General  Wilkinson  embarked  at  this  place  in  1813. 

OGDENSBURGH,  formerly  Oswegatchie.  This  is  the 
end  of  the  navigation,  and  here  the  steamboat  stops.  The 
village  is  pretty,  contains  some  large  stores,  and  carries 
on  considerable  business.  On  the  other  side  of  the  river 
is  Prescott,  where  the  British  steamboat  stops.  The 
ruins  of  Fort  Oswegatchie,  or  Fort  Presentation,  may  still 
be  traced.  It  was  not  very  large,  and  contained  only  a 
bomb-proof,  two  buildings  of  stone,  barracks,  &c. 

The  THOUSAND  ISLANDS  are  a  most  beautiful  part  of 
the  navigation,  presenting  themselves  in  every  variety 
of  forms,  though  never  rising  to  any  great  elevation. — 
They  might  be  compared  with  the  islands  of  Lake 
George. 

GALLOP  ISLANDS,  5  m.  Here  the  rapids  of  the  St. 
Lawrence  begin.  A  number  of  mills  will  be  seen  at  diffe 
rent  places  on  the  shore.  On  Stony  Island  was  a  fort  of 
some  consequence,  which  was  taken  by  General  Amherst 
on  his  way  to  Montreal,  in  the  year  1760. 

ST.  REGIS,  54  m.  The  Indian  tribe  which  bears  this 
name  have  a  reservation  of  land  here  11  miles  by  3. 

LACHINE,  53  m.     (See  Index.) 

MONTRIAL,  9  m.     (See  do.) 


ROUTE  FROM  NIAGARA  TO  ALBANY. 

Railroad  to  Buffalo  or  to  Lockport. 

BLACK  ROCK  is  a  pleasant  village  situated  on  the  mar 
gin  of  Niagara  River,  a  little  way  from  its  head,  and  op 
posite  Squaw  Island,  at  the  mouth  of  Lake  Erie.  It 
was  burnt  by  the  British  during  the  war  in  1814,  but  has 
since  been  rebuilt  and  increased  to  a  much  greater  size. 
Black  Rock  long  disputed  with  Buffalo  the  privilege  of 
having  the  Basin  of  the  Canal  built  in  her  harbour,  and  at 
last  obtained  it.  A  pier  about  two  miles  in  length  was 
built  to  secure  the  boats  and  vessels  from  the  waves  of 
the  lake,  as  well  as  to  raise  the  water  for  the  supply  of 
the  canal  to  Genesee  River.  But  the  swiftness  of  the 
current  in  the  river,  and  the  heaping  up  of  tne  ice  on  the 
shore,  proved  great  obstacles  to  the  navigation. 

BUFFALO— 3  miles  from  Black  Rock. 

IN  vs.  The  Eagle  Tavern,  Buffalo  House,  American 
and  City  Hotels. 

The  situation  of  this  town  is  remarkably  convenient 
and  agreeable,  occupying  a  long  hill  of  a  gentle  ascent, 
rising  from  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  lake.  The 
principal  street  runs  along  the  ridge  of  the  hill,  looking 
out  upon  Lake  Erie  to  the  horizon,  and  is  ornamented 
with  several  fine  blocks  of  brick  stores  and  handsome 
dwelling  houses,  together  with  several  public  buildings, 
all  erected  since  the  burning  of  the  village  by  the  British 
in  1814,  as  well  as  the  buildings  in  the  other  streets, 
which  are  fast  increasing  every  year.  In  April,  1814, 
only  one  house  was  standing  in  the  village,  that  of  a  wi 
dow  in  the  upper  part  of  the  street  A  walk  has  also 
been  laid  out  on  the  brow  of  the  hill  towards  the  lake. 
This  is  called  the  Terrace,  and  affords  a  charming  view 
upon  the  lake,  the  harbour,  and  the  canal,  to  Black 
Rock. 

The  harbour  of  Buffalo  is  singularly  fitted  by  nature 
for  the  junction  of  the  two  kinds  of  navigation  which  are 


WESTERN    ROUTES.  67 

bere  brought  together  :  the  entrance  from  the  lake  being' 
sheltered  by  the  point  on  which  the  light  house  is  erected, 
and  the  two  small  rivers  which  here  unite  their  waters, 
affording  every  convenience  for  landing  and  reshipping 
goods.  The  shores  of  these  are  very  bold,  and  they  are 
connected  by  a  natural  channel,  which  serves  the  purposes 
of  a  basin,  as  well  as  of  an  easy  communication  ;  and  as' 
the  canal  to  Black  Rock  commences  close  by  it,  the  in 
land  iraneportation  begins  without  more  ado.  Fine 
steamboats  are  constantly  plying  on  the  lake. 

The  water  of  the  creek  is  brought  nuo  the  village  from 
above  the  falls,  by  a  canal  3  miles  long. 

The  Canal  to  Black  Rock  is  dug  near  the  shore  of  the 
Lake.  The  first  part  of  it  is  through  a  low,  sandy  level, 
where  the  excavations  were  much  impeded  by  the  water 
which  soaked  through  in  great  abundance.  About  half 
a  mile  from  Buffalo,  the  workmen  hit  upon  a  bed  of  old 
half-decayed  tro.es,  which  was  dug  into  to  the  depth  of 
six  feet,  and  extended  about  half  a  mile.  Many  branches 
and  logs  were  discovered,  which  preserved  all  the  grain 
of  the  wood  ;  but  the  greater  part  was  a  black  mass  of 
matter,  which,  nn  being  dried,  burned  with  great  readi 
ness.  In  some  places,  ashes  and  coals  were  found  ;  and 
some  of  the  logs  appeared  to  have  been  washed  and  rolled 
by  the  water  of  the  lake  before  they  were  buried. 

VOYAGE  UP  LAKE  ERIE,  AND  WESTERN 
ROUTES. 

At  Buffalo  opens  a  very  extensive  route,  for  those  who 
are  disposed  to  travel  still  farther  westward.  There  is 
little  to  be  seen  along  either  shore  of  the  Lake,  which 
would  reward  a  common  traveller  for  the  tediutn  of  a  long 
ride  over  a  country  generally  level,  or  for  the  inconveni 
ences  he  would  experience  from  the  want  of  public  ac 
commodations,  and  even  the  frequent  absence  of  settle 
ments. 

Western  Routes.  Two  steamboats  start  daily  for  De 
troit,  Michigan,  311  miles,  and  arrive  in  about  36  hours, 
passing  Cattaraugus,  20,  Dunkirk  13,  Portland,  18,  Bur- 
gett's  Point,  18,  Erie,  17,  Ashtabula,  Ohio,  39,  Fairport, 


68  WESTERN    ROUTBS. 

32,  Cleaveland,  30.  (Here  begins  the  Ohio  and  "Eric 
Canal  *)  Sandusky  54,  Cunningham's  Island,  12,  North 
Bass  Islands,  10,  Middle  Sister  Island,  10,  Amherstburgh, 
Upper  Canada,  20,  to  Detroit.  18.  (For  the  routes  west 
from  Detroit,  see  beyond.) 

From  Detroit  to  Chicago.  Railroad  to  Ypsilanti,  33 
miles,  and  either  steamboat  on  Lake  Michigan  to  St.  Jo 
seph's,  169,  (or  by  land  through  Jonesville,  35,  Cold- 
water,  20,  Sturges'  Prairie,  25,  Mottville  17,  St.  Jo 
seph's,  40  ) 

Or,  by  steamboat  on  Lake  Huron,  River  St.  Clair,  40, 
Palmer,  17,  Fort  Gratiof,  14,  White  Rock,  40,  Thunder 
Island,  70,  Middle  Island,  25,  Presque  Isle,  65,  Macki 
naw,  58,  Isle  Brule,  75,  Fort  Howard,  100,  Milwaukie, 
310,  Chicago,  90. 

Or,  by  steamboat,  railroad  and  stage  coaches,  by  steam 
boat  to  Toledo,  71,  railroad  to  Adrian,  33,  stagecoach  to 
Tecumseh,  10.  Niles,  100,  Michigan  city,  Indiana,  40, 
steamboat  to  Chicago,  Illinois,  55. 

The  following  are  the  stopping  places  on  the  passage 
to  Detroit,  with  their  distances  ;  and  steamboats  run  al 
most  every  day.  (See  Ohio  Canal,  Index.) 

From  Buffalo  to  Erie,  90  miles,  Erie  to  Grand  River, 
75,  Grand  River  to  Cleaveland,  30,  Cleaveland  to  San- 
dusky,  60,  Sandusky  to  Detroit,  75,  total  330. 

*  The  Ohio  and  Erie  Canal,  307  miles  long,  extends  to  Ports 
mouth.  It  has  the  breadth  and  depth  of  the  New -York  Erie  Ca 
nal,  and  1185  lockage.  From  Cleaveland  it  passes  37  miles  along 
Cuyahoga  river,  across  Portage  summit,  down  Tuscarawas  river 
up  Tomoka  creek,  up  Licking  river  down  the  Sciota  through  Cir- 
cleville,  nearChillicothe  to  the  Ohio  to  Portsmouth. 

Distances.  Cleaveland  to  Cuyahoga  Aqueduct  22  miles.  Old 
Portage,  12,  New  Portage,  !),  Clinton,  11,  Bethlehem,  17,  Bolivar, 
8,  Dover.  10,  New  Coiner's  Town,  26,  Coshocton,  17,  Irville,  26, 
Newark,  13,  Hebron,  10,  Licking  Summit,  5,  Lancaster,  11.  (Here 
is  a  branch  to  Columbus,  18,)  Bloomfield,  8,  Circleville,  9,  Chilli. 
cothe,25,  Piketon,  2;J,  Lucasville,  14.  Portsmouth,  13. 

Steamboat  Route  down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  to  New-Or 
leans.  Portsmouth  to  Vancelmrgh,  Kentucky,  20,  Manchester, 
Ohio,  16,  Maysville,  Kentucky,  11,  Charleston,  Ky,  4,  Ripley, 
Ohio,  G.Augusta,  Ky.  8,  Neville,  Ohio,  7,  Moscow,7,  Port  Pleasant, 
4,  N.  Richmond,  7,"Colun»bia,  15,  Fulton,  6,  Cincinnati,  2,  Louis 
ville,  Kentucky,  143,  Mississippi  River,  36G,  New-Orleans,  1284. 


ROUTES  FROM  NIAGARA  TO  ALBANY,        69 

The  United  States  government  have  improved  several 
of  these  harbours. 

ANCIENT  FORTIFICATIONS. — On  Buffalo  Creek,  and  to 
wards  Genesee  River  also,  are  several  large  and  interest 
ing  remnants  of  ancient  fortifications:  but  as  they  lie  off 
the  road,  few  travellers  will  visit  them.  They  appear  to 
form  part  of  a  great  chain  of  defensive  works,  extending 
from  the  eastern  pnrt  of  Lake  Ontario,  along  that  Lake  and 
Erie,  down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers  to  Mexico. 
See  the  books  of  Mr.  Delafield  and  Mr.  Atwater,  who 
have  published  some  very  interesting  details,  drawings, 
&c.  connected  with  them.  A  line  of  old  forts  extends  from 
Cataraugns  Creek,  50  miles,  along  the  shore  of  Lake  Erie, 
to  the  line  of  Pennsylvania.  They  are  on  the  borders  of 
creeks  and  old  bays,  although  now  from  2  to  5  miles  dis 
tant  from  the  Lake,  which  is  supposed  to  have  retired  that 
distance  since  they  were  built.  Another  similar  line  is 
said  to  exist  in  the  rear  of  them,  on  another  parallel  eleva 
tion. 

SENECA  CASTLE. — The  Seneca  nation  possess  a  large 
and  valuable  tract  of  land  adjoining  Buffalo  on  the  east, 
and  they  have  two  villages  3  and  5  miles  on.  the  road. 
The  Senecas  are  the  westernmost  tribe  in  the  confederacy 
of  the  Five  Nations,  and  have  always  held  a  conspicuous 
rank  in  their  history.  They  were  formerly  considered  the 
most  numerous  and  powerful  tribe,  and  preserved  this  su 
periority  until  the  fatal  defeat  they  received  from  General 
Schuyler,  in  1778,  since  which  they  have  made  a  less  con 
spicuous  figure. 

ROAD  FROM   BUFFALO  TO  CANANDAIQUA. 

BATAVIA,  40  miles  from  Buffalo,  is  a  very  handsome  vil 
lage,  and  contains  the  residence  of  the  former  Agents  of 
the  Holland  Land  Company,  as  well  as  the  county  build 
ings.  It  is  878  feet  above  tide.  The  summit  of  the  rail 
road  route  between  Buffalo  and  Albany,  is  just  west  of  this 
place,  912  feet. 

LEROY,  10  miles. 

The  WADSWORTH  FARM,  at  Geneseo,  contains  about 
4000  acres,  about  1700  of  which  are  rich  alluvial  land  on 
the  banks  of  Genesee  river. 


70  BURNING   SPRINGS. 

The  Genesee  meadows  are  the  wheat  region  of  the  state, 
60  miles  long,  and  1  or  2  miles  wide,  and  composed  of 
limestone  and  sand.  They  were  formerly  the  residence  of 
a  large  tribe  of  Indians  of  the  Seneca  nation  ;  and  when 
Gen.  Sullivan  reached  this  place  in  his  march  through  the 
country,  he  found  and  burnt  a  village  of  120  log  houses, 
on  the  second  bank,  which  had  been  deserted  at  his  ap 
proach. 

The  remains  of  a  Mammoth  were  dug  up  about  half  a 
mile  from  the  village  of  Geneseo  in  1825.  There  were  8 
teeth  and  grinders,  parts  of  a  tusk,  a  thigh  bone  3  feet  long, 
the  lower  bone  of  the  leg,  3  feet  6  inches,  &c.  They  lay 
between  strata  of  vegetable  mould  and  sand. 

WEST  BLOOMFIELD,  beyond  the  Genesee  River,  is  one 
of  the  finest  agricultural  townships  in  the  state,  and  pre 
sents  a  succession  of  beautiful  farms,  tilled  with  care  and 
yielding  the  finest  crops.  Fruit  thrives  remarkably  well 
in  all  this  western  country.  The  prevailing  winds  are  south 
west,  and  the  climate  mild  and  uniform.  Wheat  some 
times  yields  52  bushels  to  the  acre. 

EAST   BLOOMFIELD  is  the  next  village. 

CANANDATGUA.  This  is  one  of  the  finest  western  towns, 
and  its  principal  street  runs  along  the  ridge  ofacommand- 
ing  hill,  rising  from  the  north  end  of  Canandaigua  Lake. 
It  is  wide,  and  contains  an  Academy,  and  many  handsome 
houses.  The  road  in  passing  Canandaigua  Lake,  com 
mands  a  finer  view  than  on  any  of  the  other  takes  it  passes, 
except  Skeneateles.  The  banks  are  high  and  variegated, 
and  at  the  distance  of  two  or  three  miles,  rise  to  an  imposing 
height,  and  add  a  great  degree  of  beauty  to  the  scene.  A 
number  of  gentlemen's  seats  are  seen  along  the  western 
bank  ;  and  a  little  way  off  in  the  lake  on  the  same  side,  is 
a  small  rocky  island,  where  the  Seneca  Indians  carried  all 
their  women,  children,  and  old  men,  when  Gen.  Sullivan 
appeared  against  them. 

Raiload  cars  go  to  Rochester  and  to  Batavia  every  day. 

BURNING  SPRINGS.  Springs  of  water,  charged  with 
inflammable  gas,  are  quite  common  in  Bristol,  Middlesex, 
and  Canandaigua. 

The  gas  from  the  former  rises  through  fissures  of  the 
elate,  from  both  the  margin  and  the  bed  of  the  brook. 

Their  places  are  known  by  little  hillocks  of  a  few  feet 


FROM  NIAGARA  tO   ILEAffT.  tl 

In  diameter,  and  a  few  inches  high,  formed  of  a  dark  bitu* 
minous  mould,  through  which  it  finds  its  way  to  the  sur^' 
face,  in  one  or  niore  currents  These  currents  of  gas  may 
be  set  on  fire,  and  will  burn  with  a  steady  flame.  In  win 
ter  they  form  openings  through  the  snow,  and  being  set 
on  fire,  exhibit  the  novel  and  interesting  phenomenon  of  a 
steady  and  lively  flame  in  contact  with  nothing  but  snow. 
In  very  cold  weather,  it  is  said,  tubes  of  ice  are  formed 
round  these  currents  of  gas,  (probably  from  the  freezing 
of  the  water  contained  in  it,)  which  sometimes  rise  to  the 
height  of  two  or  three  feet,  the  gas  issuing  from  theif 
tops ;  the  whole  when  lighted  in  a  still  evening,  present* 
ing  an  appearance  even  more  beautiful  than  the  former. 

From  a  pit  which  was  sunk  in  one  of  the  hillocks,  the  gas 
was  conducted  through  bored  logs,  to  the  kitchen  of  a 
dwelling.  The  novelty  of  the  spectacle  attracted  a  con-* 
course  of  visiters,  set  great  that  the  proprietors  found  it 
expedient  to  convert  their  dwelling  into  a  public  inn. 

The  road  between  Canandaigua  and  Geneva  passes  over 
&.  singular  tract  of  country.  The  ground  gradually  rises 
by  large  natural  terraces,  or  steps,  for  about  half  the  dis 
tance,  and  descends  in  the  same  manner  on  the  other  side 
to  Seneca  Lake.  They  appear  to  have  been  formed  by 
those  strong  currents  of  water  of  which  geologists  speak, 
which  at  some  ancient  period  of  time  have  evidently 
passed  over  many  tfacts  of  country  in  different  parts  of 
the  world.  The  ridges  and  channels  thus  formed  here 
stretch  north  and  south,  frequently  to  a  considerable  dis-8 
tance,  corresponding  both  in  form  and  direction  with  the 
numerous  lakes  which  are  found  in  this  part  of  the  state. 
Several  ancient  fortifications  have  been  traced  here.-^* 
From  the  middle  ridge  the  view  is  extensive,  but  the  sur 
rounding  country  is  of  too  uniform  a  surface  to  present 
any  remarkakle  variety  of  scenery. 

GENEVA.  This  town  occupies  a  charming  situation 
nt  the  foot  of  Seneca  Lake,  and  for  a  mile  along  its 
western  bank,  which  rises  to  a  considerable  elevation 
above  the  surface,  and  affords  room  for  a  broad  and  level 
street.  The  buildings  in  this  village  are  remarkably  neat 
and  handsome,  and  it  has  a  college. 

SENECA  LAKE  is  135  miles  long,  and  about  3  or  4  wide- 
Its  depth  is  unusually  great,  and  the  water  clear  and  rery 
7* 


72  AUBURN. 

cold,  to  which  is  attributed  the  scarcity  of  fish.  There  is 
a  remarkable  phenomenon  long  observed  by  those  who 
reside  nenrit,  which  has  never  been  satisfactorily  account 
ed  for.  The  water  has  a  regular  rise  and  fall  every  seven 
years.  This  is  perceptible  along  the  shore,  but  more  prac 
tically  established  in  the  experience  of  the  boatmen. 

CAYUGA  LAKE,  is  40  miles  in  length,  and  generally 
about  two  in  breadth.  A  fine  bridge  is  built  across  it  near 
the  northern  end,  where  it  is  a  mile  wide. 

A  little  before  arriving  at  the  head  of  the  lake,  in  a  steam 
boat,  a  beautiful  Waterfall  is  seen  on  the  left  hand,  where 
a  stream  flows  over  a  very  high  precipice  into  a  deep 
glen,  and  forces  its  way  along,  turning  several  valuable 
mills  in  its  course.  The  landing  place  is  about  three 
miles  from  the  village  of  Ithaca. 

The  village  of  Ithaca  is  neat  and  flourishing.  Here 
centre  the  roads  to  Catskill,  Newburgh  and  New-York. 
The  first  leads  nearly  in  a  direct  line  to  the  Hudson  River, 
the  second  passes  the  Great  Bend  of  the  Delaware,  and 
the  third  furnishes  daily  the  shortest  route  to  New-York. 

THE  CASCADE.  This  beautiful  and  romantic  scene  is 
about  three  miles  from  the  village. 

AUBURN  is  another  beautiful  village,  ard  merits  the 
name  it  has  borrowed  from  Goldsmith's  charming  poetry. 
It  is  unfortunately  placed  at  some  distance  from  Oswego 
Lake,  and  therefore  is  deprived  of  the  picturesque  charac 
ter  which  it  might  have  enjoyed.  There  is  a  Presbyte 
rian  Theological  Seminary  in  Auburn,  and  several  hand 
some  public  buildings  in  this  place,  but  the  most  important 
is  the 

STATE  PRISON.  This  institution,  having  been  managed 
by  Mr.  Lynds,  and  the  first  established  on  his  system  so 
excellent,  so  celebrated,  and  with  remarkable  success, 
merits  particular  notice.  Many  of  the  new  prisons  in  the 
United  States  are  built  after  this  general  plan,  which  is 
also  much  approved  in  Europe. 

"  The  old  Auburn  prison  was  built  in  1817,  and  cost 
about  $300,000.  It  was  constructed  upon  the  plan  of  a 
hollow  square,  enclosed  by  a  wall  of  2000  feet  in  extent, 
being  500  feet  on  each  side,  and,  for  the  most  part,  35  feet 
in  height. 

"  The  new  one,  designed  to  contain  400  cells,  covers  only 
206  by  46  feet  of  ground.  There  are  five  dories  of  celle, 


ROUTE   FROM    NIAGARA   TO   ALBANY. 

containing-  eighty  in  two  parallel  lines,  divided  in  the 
middle  by  a  wall  two  feet  thick.  The  walls  between  tho 
cells  are  one  foot  thick.  The  cells  are  seven  feet  long1, 
seven  high,  and  three  and  a  half  wide,  intended  to  receive 
only  one  convict  in  each.  Each  cell  has  a  ventilator  ex 
tending  to  the  roof,  and  is  so  constructed  in  front,  that  the 
prisoners  can  neither  converse  or  make  signs  to  each 
other.  The  area  around  the  cells  is  10  feet  wide  and 
open  to  the  roof,  which  covers  the  galleries  of  the  several 
stories.  Besides  the  moral  benefit  arising  from  keeping 
the  prisoners  separate,  it  unites  that  of  economy  and  secu 
rity.  From  the  construction  of  the  prison,  five  small 
stoves,  six  large  and  twelve  small  lamps,  all  out  of  reach 
of  the  convicts,  afford  heat  and  light  to  555  cells  ;  and  one 
centinel  is  sufficient  to  400  prisoners." 

Ancient  Fortifications.  There  are  some  remains  of 
ancient  fortifications  in  the  vicinity  of  this  place,  as  well 
as  in  the  neighbouring  towns  of  Camillus,  Onondaga,  and 
Pompey. 

FROM  AUBURN  TO  SYRACUSE.  By  the  Canal,  34miles. 
(Stagecoach  to  Weed's  Basin,)  8  miles;  Jordan  Village, 
in  Camillus  township,  6  ;  Canton,  (half-way  village  be 
tween  Buffalo  and  Albany,  179  miles  from  the  former, 
and  183  from  the  latter,)  6  ;  Geddes  Village,  (with  salt 
works.)  12;  Syracuse,  2. 

By  the  Road,  28  miles.  Skeneateles,  8  ;  Marcellus, 
6 ;  Onondaga,  10  ;  Syracuse,  4. 

SYKACUSE.  For  a  description  of  this  place,  as  well  as 
of  Salina,  the  Salt  Spring,  and  Salt  Manufactories,  see 
page  42,  &c.  About  3,000,000  bushels  of  salt  made  yearly. 

FROM  SYRACUSE  TO  UTICA.  By  the  Canal,  61  miles. 
Manlius  Landing,*  9  miles;  Chitteningo  Creek,  8  ;  Canas- 
tota  Village  and  basin,  8  ;  Oneida  Creek,  5.;  Wood  Creek, 
13;  Rome,  3;  Oriskany  Village,  8;  Whitesborough,  3; 
Utica,  4. 

By  the  Road,  48  miles.  Derne,  3  miles;  Manliu*,  3; 
Sullivan,  9  ;  Vernon,  11;  Westmoreland,  6 ;  New  Hart 
ford,  7  ;  Utica,  4. 

For  Utica,  Hamilton  College,  and  Trenton  Falls, 
see  page  38. 

*  About  20  yards  from  ths  cannl,  Gypsum  (plaster  of  Paris)  is 
obtained  in  masses  of  from  1  to  100  tons. 


74 

From  Ulica  to  Schenectady,  by  the  Canal  79£ 
Iiock,  No.  53,  (end  of  the  long  level,  which  begins  west'' 
v/ard  at  Salina,  and  extends  to  this  place,  69g  miles,  with*' 
out  a  lock,)  9  miles;  Bridge  over  the  Mohawk,  and  Her- 
kimer  Village,  5 ;  Little  Falls,  8 }  Fall  Hill,  a  mountain 
on  the  right,  5 IS  feet  higher  than  the  canal,  712  above' 
h:gh  water  in  the  Hudson  River,  and  about  145  abovor 
Lake  Erie,  1 ;  Old  Mohawk  Castle,  5 ;  Fort  Plain,  9£  ? 
Canajoharie,  4  •,  a  railway  has  been  proposed  to  run  hence 
to  Catskill,  CO;  Anthony's  Nose,  5;  (this  scene  is  repre-* 
sented  in  the  plate  from  this  side — the  bluff  on  the  right 
is  Anthony's  Nose,  on  the  tap  of  which  a  remarkable 
cavern  opens,  extending  further  down  than  it  has  ever 
been  explored)  ;  Schoharie  Creek,  11;  Amsterdam  Vil 
lage,  (across  the  river,)  5  ;  Flint  Hill,  6  ;  Rotterdam  Flats,- 
8 ;  Schenectady,  3. 

Road  to  Albany,  15^  miles, 

ROUTE  FROM  ALBANY  TO  THE  SPRINGS. 

Waterford  is  shunted  on  the  west  side  of  the  Hudson,- 
across  which  is  a  bridge.  Lan.singlmrgh  stands  opposite, 
and  is  a  place  of  considerable  size.  The  streets  of  Water- 
ford  are  wide,  regular,  and  handsomely  built.  Some  of 
the  private  houses  are  remarkable  for  their  neatness. 
There  are  numerous  rocky  islands  with  precipitous  skies,- 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Mohawk  River,  which  are  seen  at  a 
little  distance  below  the  bridge.  To  these,  the  American 
army,  under  Gen.  Schuyler,  retreated  in  1777 ,  before  Gen.' 
Burgoyne,  and  before  the  battle  of  Saratoga.  The  boats- 
on  the  Champlain  Canal  enter  the  Mohawk  in  full  view 
of  them,  through  guard  locks,  and  are  poled  across,  the 
current  being  stopped  by  a  dam.  Waterford  is  2l|  miles- 
from  Ballston  Springs,  and  24  to  Saratoga,  by  mil  road. 

STILLWATER  is  11  £  miles  above  Waterford;  and  4 
miles  beyond  that  place  is  Smith?*  Tavern,  where  those 
wif'l  stop  who  visit  the  battle  ground,  at  Behmis's 
Heights. 

Although  the  great  crowd  of  travellers  on  this  rdad 
will  take  the  road  to  Ballston  or  Saratoga,  yet  as  th-ey 
will  l;ad  fa\v  objects  of  any  interest,  it  may  be  proper  tu 


ROUTE   TO   THE   SPRINGS.  75 

introduce,  in  this  place,  an  account  of  the  expedition  of 
Gen.  Burgoyne,  and  the  battle  of  Behmis's  Heights,  often 
known  by  the  name  of  the  battle  of  Saratoga,  as  we  are 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  field. 

:  Stillwater  takes  its  name  from  the  smoothness  and 
quietness  of  the  Hudson. 

The  first  battle  within  this  region,  of  which  history 
gives  any  account,  was  fought  between  the  French  and 
the  Five  Nations  of  Indians,  soon  after  the  settlement  of 
Canada,  when  the  latter  first  learned  the  terrible  effect  of 
gunpowder,  and  began  to  flee  from  the  approach  of  civil 
ization.  In  the  numerous  expeditions  which  at  sub 
sequent  periods  were  undertaken  by  the  British  against 
Canada,  this  route  was  taken  in  the  attack,  and  not  un- 
frequently  m  the  retreat.  The  revolution  and  the  last 
war  with  England,  produced  scenes  which  will  be  touched 
upon  in  their  places. 

The  first  period  to  which  we  shall  refer,  is  that  of  the 
revolution  ;  and  the  first  scene  that  of  the  battle  of  Sa 
ratoga,  or  Behmis's  Heights,  towards  which  we  are  fast 
approaching. 

"  I  could  here,"  says  Dr.  Dwight,  "  almost  forget  that 
Arnold  became  a  traitor  to  his  country,  and  satisfy  my 
self  with  recollecting,  that  to  his  invincible  gallantry, 
and  that  of  the  brave  officers  and  soldiers  whom  he  led, 
my  country  was,  under  God,  indebted  in  a  prime  degree, 
for  her  independence,  and  all  its  consequent  blessings.  I 
should  think  that  an  American,  peculiarly  an  inhabitant 
of  New-England  or  New- York,  little  to  be  envied,  whose 
patriotism  did  not  gain  force  upon  the  heights  of  Still- 
water,  or  the  plains  of  Saratoga.  These  scenes  I  have 
examined:  the  former  with  solemnity  and  awe,  the  latter 
with  ardour  and  admiration,  and  both  with  enthusiasm 
and  rapture.  Here  I  have  remembered  ;  and  here  it  was 
impossible  not  to  remember,  that  on  this  very  spot  a  con 
troversy  was  decided  upon  which  hung  the  liberty  and 
happiness  of  a  nation  destined  one  day  to  fill  a  continent ; 
and  of  its  descendants,  who  will  probably  hereafter  out 
number  the  inhabitants  of  Europe." 


75  BURGOTNB'S  EXPEDITION. 

BDRGOYNE'S  EXPEDITION.  General  Burgoyne*  was 
appointed  Governor  of  Canada  in  1777,  10  succeed  Sir 

*  General  Burgoyne  — (From  an  English  Work.) — It  is  curious, 
that  a  man  of  such  celebrity  as  a  writer,  a  senator,  and  an  offi 
cer,  as  the  late  Lieut  John  Burgnyne,  should  be  found  among  the 
uumber  of  those  of  whose  youthful  days  no  memorial  has  been 
preserved.  Neither  the  lime,  plate,  nor  circumstances  of  his  liirtli 
lire  known.  Even  his  parentage  is  doubtful.  He  is  said,  but  upon 
what  authority  it  does  not  appear,  to  have  been  a  natural  son  of 
that  Lord  Bingly,  who  died  at  an  advanced  ace  in  1774.  1  hat  he 
had  the  advantage  of  a  liboral  education  and  early  intercourse 
with  poli.-hed  society,  is  sufficiently  evident  from  his  writings  ;  and 
it  is  probable  that  he  was  early  devoted  to  the  profession  of  arms, 
for  on  the  10th  of  May,  1759,  he  was  raised  to  the  rank  of  Lieut. 
Colonel,  and  in  August  of  the  ensuing  year,  he  was  appointed 
Lieut.  Col.  Commandant  of  the  16th  Light  Dragoons.  His  after 
cervices  at  different  periods,  in  Spain,  Portugal,  and  America,  are 
till  well  known,  especially  the  unfortunate  termination  of  his  mi 
litary  career  at  Saratoga,  which,  though  it  tarnished  not  his  ho 
nour,  cast  a  shade  over  his  brow,  ever  afterward  conspicuous  to  the 
physiognomical  eye.  He  mad«,  on  certain  occasions,  no  ordinary 
figure  in  Parliament.  He  moved  in  the  first  circles,  and  married 
Lady  Charlotte  Stanley,  a  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Derby  ;  and 
yet  we  know  not  who  and  what  he  originally  was.  He  was  the 
author  of  four  successful  dramas  :  the  Maid  of  the  Oak,  the  Lord 
of  tiie  Manor,  Richard  Cceur  de  Lion,  and  the  comedy  of  the 
Heiress  ;  and  yet  the  curiosity  of  his  biographer,  even  in  this 
anecdote-dealing  and  memoir-sifting  age,  cannot  trace  his  origin 
or  the  scenes  of  his  education.  The  tale  of  the  Lord  of  the  Ma 
nor  seems,  in  some  degree,  to  have  been  disguised  in  the  modifica 
tion  of  the  character  and  circumstances  by  the  incident  of  his  own 
matrimonial  connexion  :  for  his  was  a  clandestine  and  unauthoriz 
ed  marriage,  at  a  time  when  he  held  only  a  subaltern's  commission 
in  tile  army  ;  and  is  said  to  have  excited  at  first  the  resentment  of 
the  lady's  father  to  such  a  degree,  that  he  declared  his  resolution 
never  to  admit  the  offenders  into  his  presence,  though  in  process 
of  time,  the  anger  of  the  Earl  subsided,  a  reconciliation  was  effect 
ed,  and  was  succeeded  by  a  warm  and  lasting  attachment.  It  i* 
probable,  also,  that  tho  memory  of  his  lady,  who  died  in  1770,  at 
Kensington  Pulace,  during  his  absence  in  America,  is  embalmed 
by  the  affectionate  regrets  of  the  General,  in  thai  beautiful  air  of 
his  composition  : 

"  Encompassed  in  an  angel's  frame, 

An  angel's  virtues  lay  ; 
Too  soo'i  did  heaven  assert  the  claim. 

And  call  its  own  away. 

My  Anna's  worth,  my  Anna's  charms, 

Must  never  more  return  ' 
What  now  shall  fill  these  widow'd  arras  * 

Ah  me  I  nsy  Anua'u  urn  I" 


ROUTE   TO  THE   SPRINGS.  77 

<jhiy  Carlton.  He  arrived  at  Quebec  in  May,  and  reach 
ed  Crown  Point,  June  20ih.  Genera]  Phillips  was  sent 
to  Ticonderoga  with  the  British  right  wing;  and  the  out 
posts  and  the  fort  were  successively  abandoned  by  the 
Americans.  The  news  of  the  evacuation  of  this  place 
was  a  most  disheartening  piece  of  intelligence  to  the 
country. 

During  his  delay,  General  Sohuyler  obstructed  the 
channel  of  Wood  Creek,  removed  every  thing  valuable 
from  the  country,  and  took  the  si  ores  from  Fort  George 
to  Fort  Edward  ;  sending  for  regular  troops,  and  calling 
for  the  militia  of  the  neighbouring  states,  both  which 
were  supplied.  General  Arnold  and  Colonel  Morgan 
joined  him  with  a  body  of  riflemen,  and  General  Lincoln 
with  the  New-England  militia;  and  he  fell  back  to  Sara 
toga,  to  Stillwater,  and  finally  to  the  islands  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Mohawk. 

BATTUE  OF  BENNINGTON.  Being  in  want  of  provi 
sions,  General  Burgoyne  had  despatched  Lt.  Col.  Baum 
with  his  Hessians,  to  seize  the  public  stores  at  Benning- 
ton.  He  was  supported  by  Lt.  Col.  Brechman,  who 
stopped  at  Baten  Kill.  Brig.  Gen.  Stark  with  the  New- 
Hampshire  troops,  joined  by  Col.  Warner,  attacked  Col. 
Banm  at  the  Wallornsack  River,  where  they  were  en 
camped,  July  16th,  (1777,)  and  in  two  hours,  forced  their 
works,  and  completely  defeated  them.  Colonel  Warner 
began  the  attack  on  Col.  Brechman,  wounded  him  mor 
tally,  took  him  prisoner,  and  put  his  troops  to  flight. 

226  of  the  British  troops  were  killed  at  the  battle  of 
Bennington,  or  rather  the  battle  of  Hoosac,  as  it  was 
fought  in  that  town.  700  soldiers  were  taken  prisoners, 
and  36  officers. 

Gen.  Gates  now  received  the  command  of  the  American 
troops,  which  had  been  greatly  re-enforced  ;  and  took  a 
position  on  Behmis's  Heights,  a  ridge  of  elevated  ground, 
beginning  on  the  left,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  ri 
ver,  and  stretching  off  towards  the  northwest,  which  of 
fered  great  advantages  for  the  defence  of  the  road. 

GEN.  GATES'  CAMP  was  about  half  a  mile  from  the  road 
on  the  left,  and  his  quarters  were  in  a  house  which  was  yet 
standing  when  the  author  visited  the  spot.  A  bye-road 


78  BATTLK    OF    SARATOGA. 

leads  to  the  place,  and  the  old  intrenchments,  and  after' 
wards  you  may  proceed  along  the  heights,  which  were  oc 
cupied  by  the  American  troops.  By  making  a  considerable 
circuit,  by  a  road  in  some  places  rough,  you  may  ride  over 
the  encampment  and  the  scenes  of  the  two  battles,  and 
then  come  back  to  the  river  at  Smith's  little  tavern,  3 
miles  above  this  place,  or  cross  over  to  the  Springs.  The 
space  between  the  river  and  the  hill  was  crossed  by  a  deep 
intrenchment  defended  with  artillery,  and  almost  impracti 
cable. 

THE  AMERICAN  LINES,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  long, 
were  furnished  with  a  breast  work  of  logs,  (the  hills  being 
almost  entirely  a  forest,)  and  the  left  terminated  opposite 
the  enemy's  right.  From  the  left  almost  to  the  centre,  the 
ground  is  level,  and  was  partly  cleared,  yet  much  encum 
bered  with  fallen  and  girdled  trees.  An  opening,  left  of 
the  centre,  had  a  battery — thence  a  ravine  ran  to  the  right. 

THE  BRITISH  LINES,  stretched  from  a  hill  opposite  the 
American  left,  in  a  straight  line  across  the  meadow  to  the 
Hudson  River.  The  enemy  moved  forward,  and  encamp 
ed  in  two  lines,  about  two  miles  from  Gen.  Gates  ;  his  left 
on  the  river,  and  his  right  extending  at  right  angles  to  it, 
across  the  low  grounds  about  six  hundred  yards,  to  the 
lofty  heights  occupied  by  his  elite,  having  a  creek  or  gul- 
ley  in  his  front,  made  by  a  rivulet  which  issued  from  a 
great  ravine,  formed  by  the  hills,  which  ran  in  a  direction 
nearly  parallel  to  the  river,  until  within  half  a  mile  of  the- 
American  camp. 

The  Northern  or  Champlain  canal,  and  the  coach  road, 
now  cross  the  ground  occupied  by  the  American  right,  and 
soon  afterwards  that  occupied  by  the  British  lines. 

THE  BATTLE  GROUND  is  on  an  elevated  plain,  about 
two  miles  above  General  Gates'  camp,  and  the  same  dis 
tance  west  from  Smith's  tavern.  It  may  be  taken  in  the 
way  from  the  Springs,  but  it  is  better  to  go  first  to  Smith's 
for  a  guide,  and  to  take  or  prepare  for  refreshment.  From 
Smith's  to  the  battle  ground,  the  road  is  quite  romantic, 
along  the  south  side  of  Cumminskill,  with  a  steep  bank  on 
each  side  for  a  part  of  the  distance.  Here  Burgoyne 
marched  up  to  extend  his  right,  and  turn  the  American  left. 
The  open  ground  at  the  end  is  the  field  of  battle. 


ROLTE    TO    THK    S THINGS.  /9 

The  most  severe  fighting  in  the  first  battle,  was  at  a  lit 
tle  knoll,  in  a  field  on  the  south. 

BATTLE  OF  SEPT.  19th. — In  the  morning1,  it  was  re 
ported  by  Col.  Colburn,  who  was  watching  the  enemy,  that 
they  were  beginning  to  ascend  the  hill  towards  the  Ameri 
can  left.  Gen.  Gates  sent  Col.  Morgan  to  oppose  them, 
and  the  firing  began  about  noon.  'Ihe  action  extended, 
and  in  three  hours  was  general,  and  continued  without  in 
terruption  till  dark.  The  American  troops  engaged 
amounted  to  3000  ;  the  British  to  3500.  The  following 
account  is  from  General  Wilkinson. 

"  This  battle  was  perfectly  accidental ;  Burgoyne's  move 
ment  being  merely  to  take  ground  on  the  heights  in  front 
of  the  great  ravine,  and  on  our  side,  the  defences  of  our 
camp  being  not  half  completed,  and  re-enforcements  daily 
arriving,  it  was  not  General  Gates'  policy  to  court  an  ac 
tion.  The  misconception  of  the  adverse  chiefs  put  them 
on  the  defensive,  and  confined  them  to  the  ground  they 
casually  occupied  at  the  beginning  of  the  action,  and  pre 
vented  a  single  manoeuvre,  during  one  of  the  longest, 
warmest,  and  most  obstinate  battles  fought  in  America. 
Gen.  Gates  believed  that  his  antagonist  intended  to  attack 
him,  and  circumstances  appeared  to  justify  the  like  con 
clusion  on  the  part  of  Burgoyne  ;  and  as  the  thickness  and 
depth  of  the  intervening  wood  concealed  the  position  and 
movements  of  either  army  from  its  adversary,  sound  cau 
tion  obliged  the  respective  commanders  to  guard  every  as 
sailable  point ;  thus  the  flower  of  the  British  army,  the 
grenadiers  and  light  infantry,  one  thousand  five  hundred 
strong,  were  posted  on  an  eminence  to  cover  its  right,  and 
stood  by  their  arms,  inactive  spectators  of  the  conflict,  un 
til  near  sunset ;  while  Gen.  Gates  was  obliged  to  keep  his 
right  wing  on  post,  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  forcing  that 
flank,  by  the  plain  bordering  on  the  river.  Had  either  of 
the  generals  been  properly  apprised  of  the  dispositions  of 
his  antagonist,  a  serious  blow  might  have  been  struck  on 
our  left,  or  the  enemy's  right ;  but  although  nothing  is  more 
common,  it  is  as  illiberal  as  it  is  unjust,  to  determine  the 
merits  of  military  operations  by  events  exclusively.  It  was 
not  without  experience  that  the  Romans  erected  temples 
to  Fortune.  Later  times  might  afford  motives  for  edifices, 
in  which  Genius  or  Wisdom  would  have  no  votaries." 
S 


80  BATTLK    OF   SARATOGA. 

Battle  of  October  8th.  General  Wilkinson  gives  the 
following  description  of  this  battle  : — 

"  The  enemy  were  formed  across  a  new  cultivated  field, 
their  grenadiers  with  several  field  pieces  on  the  left,  bor 
dering  on  a  wood,  and  a  small  ravine  formed  by  the  rivu 
let  before  alluded  to ;  their  light  infantry  on  the  right, 
covered  by  a  worm  fence  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  before 
mentioned,  thickly  covered  with  wood  ;  their  centre  com 
posed  of  British  and  German  battalions.  Col.  Morgan, 
with  his  usual  sagacity,  proposed  to  make  a  circuit  with 
his  corps  by  our  left,  and  under  cover  of  the  wood  to  gain 
the  height  on  the  right  of  the  enemy,  and  from  thenco 
commence  his  attack,  so  soon  as  our  fire  should  be  opened 
against  their  left ;  the  plan  was  the  best  which  could  be 
devised,  and  no  doubt  contributed  essentially  to  the 
prompt  and  decisive  victory  we  gained." 

"  This  proposition  was  approved  by  the  General,  and  it 
•was  concerted  that  time  should  be  allowed  the  Colonel  to 
make  the  proposed  circuit,  and  gain  his  station  on  the 
enemy's  right  before  the  attack  should  be  made  on  their 
left:  Poor's  brigade  was  ordered  for  this  service,  and  the 
attack  was  commenced  in  due  season  on  the  flank  and 
front  of  the  British  grenadiers,  by  the  New-Hampshire 
and  New-York  troops.  True  to  his  purpose,  Morgan,  at 
this  critical  moment,  poured  down  like  a  torrent  from  the 
hill,  and  attacked  the  right  of  the  enemy  in  front  and  flank. 
Dearborn,  at  the  moment  when  the  enemy's  light  infantry 
were  attempting  to  change  front,  pressed  forward  with 
ardour,  and  delivered  a  close  fire ;  then  leaped  the  fence, 
shouted,  charged,  and  gallantly  forced  them  to  retire  in 
disorder;  yet  headed  by  that  intrepid  soldier  the  Earl  of 
Balcarras,  they  were  immediately  rallied,  and  re-formed 
behind  a  fence  in  rear  of  their  first  position ;  but  being 
now  attacked  with  great  audacity  in  front  and  flanks  by 
superior  numbers,  resistance  became  vain,  and  the  whole 
line,  commanded  by  Burgoyne  in  person,  gave  way,  and 
made  a  precipitate  and  disorderly  retreat  to  his  camp, 
leaving  2  twelve,  and  6  six  pounders  on  the  field,  with 
the  loss  of  more  than  400  officers  and  men,  killed,  wound 
ed,  and  captured,  and,  among  them,  the  flower  of  his  offi 
cers,  viz  : — Brigadier  General  Frazer,  Major  Ackland, 
commanding  the  grenadiers,  Sir  Francis  Clark,  his  iirst 


ROUTE   TO    THE    SPRINGS.  81 

aid-de-camp,  Major  Williams,  commanding  officer  of  the 
artillery,  Captain  Money,  deputy  quartermaster  general, 
and  many  others.*  The  ground  which  had  been  occupied 
by  the  British  grenadiers  presented  a  scene  of  complicated 
horror  and  exultation.  In  the  square  space  of  twelve  or 
fifteen  yards  lay  eighteen  grenadiers  in  the  agonies  of 
death,  and  three  officers  propt  up  against  stumps  of  trees, 
two  of  them  mortally  wounded,  bleeding,  and  almost 
speechless. 

"  With  the  troops  I  pursued  the  hard  pressed  flying  ene 
my,  passing  over  killed  and  wounded  until  I  heard  one 
exclaim,  "protect  me,  Sir,  against  this  boy."  Turning 
my  eyes,  it  was  my  fortune  to  arrest  the  purpose  of  a  lad 
thirteen  or  fourteen  years  old,  in  the  act  of  taking  aim  at 
a  wounded  officer  who  lay  in  the  angle  of  a.  worm  fence. 
Inquiring  his  rank,  he  answered,  "  I  had  the  honour  to 
command  the  grenadiers;"  of  course,  I  knew  him  to  be 
Major  Ackland,  who  had  been  brought  from  the  field  to 
this  place,  on  the  back  of  a  captain  Shrimpton  of  his  own 
corps,  under  a  hea\y  fire,  and  was  here  deposited,  to  save 
the  lives  of  both." 

Quarters  of  General  Burgoyne.  The  house  now 
stands  by  the  road  side,  but  the  place  where  it  then  was 
is  a  spot  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and  about  200  yards  from 
the  river.  The  cellar  is  still  to  be  seen,  in  a  lield  near  an 
apple  tree,  a  little  north  of  the  road  that  crosses  the 
canal.  Wiilard's  mountain  is  an  eminence  a  few  miles 
off,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  During  the  last 
battle,  the  Americans  had  a  few  cannon  on  the  rising 
ground  above  the  eastern  shore,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  above 
Smith's,  and  thence  proceeded  the  shot  of  which  the  Ba 
roness  Reidesel  speaks.  Several  ladies  of  distinction 
were  its  inmates  at  the  time  when  the  British  troops 
were  here,  being  the  wives  of  some  of  its  principal  offi 
cers.  Among  these  were  the  Baroness  Reidesel,  with 
her  children,  wife  of  General  Reidesel,  and  Lady  Har 
riet  Ackland,  wife  of  Major  Ackland,  commander  of  the 
British  Grenadiers.  The  former  published  an  account  of 

*  General  Frazer  wns  shot  in  the  meadow,  near  the  fence  by 
the  road  side,  just  south  of  the  blacksmith's  shop.  The  spot  is 
marked  by  the  third  tree  in  a  row  of  poplar*. 


82  BALLSTON    SPRINGS. 

what  she  saw  during  this  trying  and  dangerous  contest, 
ufter  her  return  to  Europe.  The  house  was  converted 
into  an  hospital  during  the  second  battle,  and  Gen.  Fra- 
zer  died  on  the  8th  of  October  in  what  is  now  the  bar 
room.  His  grave  is  on  the  hill. 

BALLSTON  SPRINGS.  This  village  is  situated  in  a  little 
valley  surrounded  by  hills,  which  have  the  aspect  of  hav 
ing  once  been  the  bed  of  a  small  lake.  The  high  ground 
enclosing  it,  gives  an  air  of  seclusion  to  the  place,  at  the 
same  time  that  it  furnishes  a  variety  of  pleasant  scenery. 
The  Kayderosseros  brook  flows  through  the  valley,  in 
some  places  overhung  by  forest  tre^s.  Railroads  lead 
to  Saratoga  Springs,  Troy  and  Schenectady. 

The  Sans  Souci  Hotel  is  the  principal  house  in  the 
place.  It  has  a  fine  piazza  opening  upon  the  streets, 
and  presents  a  front  of  156  feet  long,  with  a  wing  extend 
ing  back  from  each  end  150  feet,  all  of  them  three 
stories  high,  and  containing  in  all  lodging  for  nearly  150 
persons. 

The  variety  of  scenery  in  the  neighbourhood  is  sufficient 
to  attract  many  of  those  who  resort  to  this  place  of  health 
and  pleasure. 

THE  WASHINGTON  SPRING  was  opened  in  1827,  by 
boring  237  feet  deep,  through  blue  slate  rock,  near  the  Old 
Spring.  It  has  a  tube  sunk  the  whole  distance,  made 
partly  of  iron  and  partly  of  tin,  and  affords  a  most  delight 
ful  sparkling  water,  which  boils  over  the  top.  In  August 
of  that  year,  several  months  after  it  was  opened,  the 
water  was  forced  into  the  air  to  the  height  of  12  or  14 
feet,  without  any  perceptible  cause,  in  a  constant  jet,  for 
about  half  an  hour.  The  water  then  disappeared,  and  was 
afterwards  discovered  slowly  rising  till  it  again  overflowed. 
It  was  for  a  time  flat  and  turbid ;  but  soon  recovered  all 
its  clearness,  gaseous  pungency  and  sparkling. 

THE  LAFAYETTE  SPRING,  which  yields  a  fine  and 
sparkling  chalybeate  water,  was  discovered  early  in  the) 
summer  of  1825.  It  is  supposed  by  many  to  be  in  fact 
identical  with  the  "Old  Spring."  It  is  very  cold  and 
highly  charged  with  oxyde  of  iron  and  carbonic  acid  gas, 
which  have  given  it  a  high  reputation. 

The  Old  Spring,  which  is  in  the  middle  of  the  street, 
was  the  fir-st  discovered  in  all  this  ourt  of  the  country.  It 


THE    SPRINGS,  S5- 

The  Flat  Rock  Spring  is  near  the  upper  end  of  ther 
street,  and  in  the  rear  of  the  Pavilion. 

The  Round  Rock  Spring  is  worthy  of  a  visit  merely 
as  a  natural  curiosity  j  the  water,  although  for  a  time 
much  celebrated,  and  indeed  the  only  attraction  of  which 
Saratoga  could  boast,  having  gone  into  disrepute,  since 
the  discovery  of  the  sources  already  mentioned.  It  is  a 
feeble  chalybeate  with  little  taste  and  little  effect.  The 
water  rises  in  a  small  rock  of  calcareous  tufa,  of  a  coni 
cal  form,  with  a  circular  hole  in  the  middle,  about  five 
inches  in  diameter.  The  rock  is  about  five  feet  through 
at  the  base,  and  has  evidently  been  produced  by  the  lay 
ers  of  lime  deposited  by  the  water. 

That  part  of  the  rock  which  is  most  exposed  to  the  drip 
ping  of  water  taken  out  in  cups  through  the  hole  in  the 
top,  is  always  smooth  and  even,  while  other  parts  are 
rough  and  broken.  Fractures  made  by  visitors  are  some- 
times  found  half  obliterated  by  a  recent  coat  of  calcareous 
matter  formed  in  this  manner.  A  horizontal  rock,  of 
similar  formation,  extends  under  ground. 

It  is  said  that  the  Round  Rock  was  shown  to  Sir  Wil 
liam  Johnson  by  an  Indian,  before  which  time  it  was  nn- 
known  to  white  men.  The  water,  according  to  common 
report,  formerly  flowed1  over  the  top,  but  has  for  many 
years  found  its  way  below,  through  a  crevice  produced  by 
a  large  forest  tree  which  fell  and  cracked  the  rock. 

The  Iodine  Spring  is  near  the  Round  Rock. 

Mineral  Springs  and  Minerals  of  New-York.  £ 
scientific  survey  of  the  state  of  New-York,  has  been  in 
progress  several  years,  the  reports  of  which  sre  highly  in- 
1  cresting.  Numerous  springs  of  almost  all  sorts  are  found 
in  different  counties.  Besides  those  mentioned  in  this  book^ 
there  are  petrifying  springs  at  Watervliet,  Chitteningo,- 
Marcellus,  Governeur,  St.  Lawrence,  Ithaca,  &c.  Brine 
springs  in  Cortlandt  county,  York,  Lenox.  Vernon,  Mur 
ray,  and  elsewhere  in  Orleans,  Wayne  and  Qswego  coun 
ties.  Sulphureous  and  chalybeate  are  most  numerous. — 
The  petrified  shells,  &c.  found  in  many  of  the  rocky  strata, 
are  associated  with  petrified  plants  of  the  same  species  as 
accompany  them  in  Europe.  Specimens  from  both  coun 
tries,  if  accidentally  mixed,  could  not  be  discriminated, 
lam,  lead,  copper,  line,  plumbago-  aod  other  mine*- 


and  beds  are  numerous.  The  Rossie  lead  mine,  St.  Law 
rence  county,  is  remarkably  rich  and  valuable,  and  abounds 
in  a  variety  of  beautiful  minerals. 

Education.  This  state  has  made  most  creditable  progress 
in  public  education.  A  small  sum  is  annually  paid  out  of  the 
f-chool  fund  to  common  school  districts,  which  have  expend 
ed  an  equal  amount  on  schools  regularly  conducted  ;  and 
the  system  is  now  general.  The  share  of  the  surplus  reve 
nue  has  been  appopriated  to  the  purchase  of  district  libra 
ries;  and  about  10,000  libraries  of  50  volumes  each,  are 
now  gratuitously  open  to  the  children  and  adults,  under  the 
charge  of  the  teachers.  The  colleges  and  about  80  acada- 
mies  are  under  the  superintendence  of  the  Regents  of  the 
University,  and  aided  with  money  from  the  literature  fund. 
Scientific  observations  are  made  at  the  academies,  and 
full  reports  annually  returned. 

SARATOGA  LAKE.  An  excursion  to  this  beautiful  piece 
of  water,  is  one  of  the  most  agreeable  that  can  be  made  in 
any  direction.  It  is  5£  miles  distant,  in  a  southeasterly 
direction,  and  is  frequently  visited  by  parties  from  Saratoga. 

The  lake  extends  seven  miles  in  length  and  is  two  in 
breadth.  The  shores  are  bold  and  varied,  gently  descend 
ing  with  a  smooth  slope  to  the  margin,  or  rising  in  rugged 
crags  from  the  water's  edge;  sometimes  softened  and 
beautified  by  the  hand  of  cultivation,  and  sometimes  aban 
doned  to  all  their  native  wildness. 

The  Reading  Room.  Strangers  will  find  newspapers 
from  different  parts  of  the  country. 

A  record  will  also  be  found  at  the  same  place,  into 
which  the  arrivals  and  departures  of  visiters  are  copied, 
once  a  day,  from  the  books  of  the  principal  houses. 

The  Battle  Ground.  The  defeat  of  General  Burgoyne 
in  the  year  1777,  took  place  a  few  miles  east  from  the 
Springs.  See  page  78. 

REMARKS  ON  THE  ROUTES.  North.  Three  great  routes 
from  the  Springs  towards  the  north  may  be  particularized, 
although  they  run  almost  side  by  side,  and  all  unite  on 
arriving  at  Lake  Champlain.  1st,  The  fashionable  route, 
to  Caldwell  on  Lake  George.  2d,  The  road  to  White 
hall.  3d.  By  stagecoach  and  canal  to  Whitehall.* 

*  There  also  are  two  stage  routes  to  Montreal,  one  on  each 
side  of  Lake  Chumplain. 


THE    SPRIflGg.  87 

The  first  of  these  is  usually  travelled  by  strangers  of 
taste  and  leisure,  as  it  conducts  directly  ta  the  fine  scenery 
of  Lake  George,  and  the  battle  grounds  in  its  vicinity  ? 
and  passes  near  several  other  spots  of  high  interest  for 
their  historical  associations.  Even  if  a  journey  to  Mon 
treal  is  intended,  it  can  hardly  be  too  urgently  pressed 
upon  the  stranger  to  devote  a  leisure  day  or  two  to  Lake 
George  on  his  way,  as  he  will  find  himself  most  amply 
rewarded  and  can  join  the  great  route  with  facility  at 
Ticonderoga. 

The  traveller  should  stop  at  Ticonderoga  to  see  the 
ruins  of  the  old  fortress.  If  he  can  visit  Lake  George, 
he  may  take  the  beautiful  scenery,  and  interesting  sites  of 
that  attractive  region  in  his  way.  If  he  has  not  time  for 
that,  he  may  land  at  Ticonderoga,  where  a  steamboat 
wharf  has  just  been  built,  and  a  commodious  house  fitted 
up  this  season,  and  devote  at  least  one  day  to  a  ramble 
about  that  picturesque  and  celebrated  point* 

The  second  route  is  the  road  to  Whitehall,  which  is 
furnished  with  public  carnages  from  the  Springs  during 
the  warm  season,  and  like  the  canal  passes  near  some  of 
the  interesting  places  to  be  mentioned  hereafter.  From 
Whitehall  the  traveller  may  proceed  down  Lake  Cham- 
plain  in  the  daily  steamboats,  or  by  land  in  the  mail 
coach. 

East.  Travellers  wishing  to  go  to  any  part  of  the 
country  in  this  direction,  may  take  their  choice  of  several 
routes.  Lines  of  stagecoaches  run  to  Connecticut  Riverr 
from  Burlington,  Middlebury,  Castleton,  and  Granviller 
as  well  as  from  Troy  and  Albany,  in  various  directions — 
to  Hanover,  Brattleborough,  Greenfield,  Northampton,. 
Springfield,  Hartford  ;  and  there  subdividing  into  nume 
rous  ramifications,  offer  the  mean*  of  conveyance  to  every 
part  of  New-England. 

The  most  interesting  route  that  can  be  chosen  by  a  man 
of  taste,  from  the  Springs  to  Boston,  is  through  Vermont 
to  the  White  Mountains,  and  Winnipiseogee  Lake  in 
New-Hampshire.  He  may  take  what  road  he  pleases  to 
Connecticut  River;  and  then  proceed  to  Bath  on  it* 
eastern  shore,  pursuing  the  course  of  the  Lower  Am- 
monoosuc  Iliver  to  the  White  Mountains. 


88        EXCURSION  TO  LAKE  GEORGE. 

EXCURSION  TO  LAKE  GEORGE,  27  miles. 

This  is  by  far  the  most  delightful,  as  well  as  fashiona 
ble  excursion  which  can  be  made  from  the  Springs  in  any 
direction,  as  it  abounds  with  some  of  the  finest  scenery  in 
the  United  States,  and  in  numerous  sites  and  objects  inti 
mately  connected  with  the  history  of  the  country. 

For  Lake  George,  27  m.  a  stagecoach  starts  daily,  after 
the  arrival  of  the  Albany  train  of  cars,  with  six  horses, 
and  passing  through  Glenn's  Falls,  arrives  by  diiylight. 
The  beautiful  and  commodious  steamboat  Wm.  Caldwell, 
Capt.  Larrabee,  plies  on  the  lake  daily  (Sundays  excepted.) 
The  line  is  complete,  rapid  and  convenient  on  this  route 
to  Lake  Champlain,  as  coaches  await  the  boat  at  the 
end  of  the  lake,  and  go  on  to  Ticonderoga.  The  boat 
waits  85  hours,  which  is  sufficient  time  to  see  Ticonde 
roga,  dine  and  return.  There  the  traveller  finds  a  good 
hotel ;  and,  after  reviewing  the  interesting  ruins  and 
scenery,  may  go  back  to  Lake  George,  or  pass  down  Lake 
Champlain  to  Canada. 

The  'splendid  steampacket  Burlington,  Capt.  R.  W. 
Sherman,  and  the  Whitehall,  Capt.  Lyons,  touch  daily  at 
the  new  dock  at  Ticonderoga  Point,  which  has  been  con 
structed  for  their  convenience  by  Mr.  Pell,  proprietor  of 
the  place.  The  ruins  remain  in  the  same  state  of  careful 
preservation  in  which  they  were  kept  by  the  late  Alfred 
H.  Pell,  Esq.  to  whose  taste  and  intelligence  visiters  to  this 
interesting  spot  will  be  indebted  for  much  gratification. 
The  fine  and  extensive  garden,  enriched  by  him  with 
some  curious  exotics,  is  worthy  of  attention.  There  will 
be  found,  in  luxuriant  growth,  several  plants  rarely  found 
in  so  cold  a  climate:  the  cork  tree,  French  willow,  Euro 
pean  vines,  &c. 

From  the  time  of  the  earliest  wars  between  the  British 
colonies  and  the  French  in  Canada,  to  that  of  1755,  the 
tract  over  which  part  of  our  route  lies  was  the  high  road 
of  war.  It  was  traversed  by  many  a  hostile  expedition, 
in  which  the  splendour  and  power  of  European  arms 
mingled  with  the  fierce  tactics  of  savage  warriors :  the 
ruins  of  fortresses  are  still  to  be  traced  in  several  places, 
and  tradition  points  to  many  a  spot  that  has  been  sprin 
kled  with  blood.  During  the  revolution,  also,  some  of 


GLENN  S    FALLS.  89 

the  important  events  in  our  history  took  place  in  this 
neighbourhood. 

The  Road  from  Saratoga  to  Glenn's  Falls,  18  miles. 
Wilton,  7  m  Thirteen  miles  beyond,  the  road  branches 
off  east  ward  for  Sandy  Hill. 

Haifa  mile  before  reaching  the  village,  the  road  enters 
a  rich  plain,  probably  once  overflown  by  the  river,  which 
is  now  discovered  on  the  left,  dividing  it  in  its  course, 
while  the  village  appears  in  front,  with  a  handsome  church 
spire,  and  a  number  of  neat  white  houses,  all  backed  by 
the  mountains,  which  here  stretch  off  towards  the  north. 

French  Mountain  is  the  most  prominent  eminence,  of 
which  more  anon  A  more  distant  range  is  likewise  seen 
further  to  the  right. 

GLENN'S  FALLS.  From  the  bridge,  the  falls  in  the 
Hudson  are  in  full  view.  The  river  here  makes  a  sudden 
descent  of  37  feet,  over  a  rock  of  dark  blue  limestone, 
which  has  been  worn  into  so  many  forms  as  to  break  up 
the  current  in  a  very  singular  manner.  The  projection  of 
two  large  masses  of  rock  divides  the  water  into  three 
sheets. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  river  is  a  feeder  to  the  Cham- 
plain  Canal. 

Caverns.  The  mouths  of  two  caverns  are  found  facing 
the  north,  in  different  places  among  the  rocks.  The  first 
is  just  large  enough  to  permit  the  passage  of  a  man,  and 
is  cut  with  surprising  regularity  for  a  distance  of  about 
25  feet.  This  place  is  made  the  scene  of  some  of  the 
most  interesting  chapters  of  Mr.  Cooper's  novel  of  the 
Last  of  the  Mohicans. 

About  half  way  between  this  place  and  Sandy  Hill,  a 
convoy  of  wagons  was  attacked  in  the  French  war,  on 
their  way  to  Lake  George. 

Nearly  north  of  Glenn's  Falls,  is  Luzerne  Mountain  ; 
and  a  little  to  the  right  of  it,  French  Mountain.  Between 
them  passes  the  road  to  Lake  George.  Towards  the 
west,  a  range  of  high  hills  encloses  the  view,  and  in  the 
east,  the  Vermont  Mountains  make  a  fine  appearance. 

Near  the  foot  of  French  Mountain  is  a  small  house,  on 
the  east  side  of  the  road  ;  and  near  this  place  Gen.  Dieskau's 
advanced  guard  struck  the  route  from  Glenn's  Falls  and 
Fort  Edward  to  Fort  William  Henry.  The  valley  through 


$0  LAKE  GEORGE. 

which  we  pass  is  narrow  for  some  distance  beyond;  and 
after  about  half  an  hour's  ride,  a  little  circular  pond  is 
discovered  on  the  east  side,  and  close  by  the  road.  It  is 
usually  almost  concealed  with  water  plants. 

This  was  near  the  place  of  action  between  Col.  Wil 
liams  and  Gen.  Dieskau.  The  latter  had  extended  his 
troops  across  the  path,  and  advanced  his  wings  some  dis 
tance  in  front,  the  left  wing  occup}ing  the  rising  ground 
on  the  west  side  of  the  road  near  this  place.  A  small 
•cleared  spot  may  be  noticed  on  the  other  side,  a  little 
beyond  the  pond,  (in  1825  a  hut  stood  upon  it,)  that  is 
sa^d  to  have  been  the  principal  scene  of  action ;  and  a 
singular  rock  near  by  is  pointed  out  by  tradition  as  the 
'mark  of  Col.  Williams's  grave. 

The  little  pond  above  mentioned  was  the  place  where 
most  of  the  dead  were  thrown,  and  it  bears  the  name  of 
Bloody  Pond  to  this  day.  It  is  probably  much  smaller 
than  formerly.  In  1825  the  skeleton  of  a  man  was  dug 
up  from  a  depth  of  l£  feet,  near  the  pond,  with  a  marble 
pipe,  and  some  silver  eyed  buttons  bearing  the  royal  stamp. 
This  pond  is  nearly  circular,  and  is  covered,  in  their  sea 
son,  with  the  Pond  Lily,  (Nymphea  Alba.) 

LAKE  GEORGE. 

LAKE  GEORGE.  Coming  to  the  brow  of  a  high  hill,  the 
prospect  opens,  and  the  lake  appears,  enclosed  by  moun 
tains,  many  of  which,  at  this  distance,  are  of  a  deep  blue. 
The  side  of  French  Mountain  is  near  at  hand  on  the  east, 
covered  with  thick  trees  to  the  summit ;  while  the  smooth 
ness  of  the  lake,  the  beauty  of  its  nearest  shore,  with  the 
neat  white  buildings  of  Caldwell,  communicate  to  the 
scene  a  degree  of  beauty  and  seclusion,  which  can  hardly 
be  found  in  any  other  spot.  Directly  at  the  south  end 
are  the  remains  of  Forts  George  and  William  Henry. 

CALDWELL.  The  village  of  Caldwell  is  the  place  at 
which  the  visitor  will  stop  to  take  a  view  of  this  charming 
lake,  and  from  which  lie  will  make  his  excursions  across 
its  beautiful  waters.  The  village  stands  at  the  south  end 
of  the  lake,  and  on  its  shore,  commanding  a  fine  view  of 
the  neighbouring  sheet  of  water,  and  the  mountains  by 
which  it  is  almost  enclosed.  The  inn  to  which  strangers 


LAKE   GKOIIGZ.  91 

resort  occupies  a  spot  peculiarly  fitted  to  gratify  the  eye  of 
taste,  as  it  overlooks  the  lake  for  several  miles,  and  the 
view  is  not  interrupted  by  any  neighbouring  obstacle.  A 
more  delightful  place  can  hardly  be  found  in  the  United 
States,  for  the  temporary  residence  of  one  who  takes  de 
light  in  scenery  of  this  description,  and  loves  to  recur 
to  deeds  long  past,  and  to  exploits  great  in  themselves 
and  important  in  their  results  even  to  the  present  day. 

Lake  (Jeorge  is  34  miles  long,  and  its  greatest  breadth 
4.  At  the  south  end  it  is  only  about  one  mile  broad. 
The  greatest  depth  is  sixty  fathoms.  The  water  is  re 
markable  for  its  purity — a  fish  or  a  stone  may  be  seen  at 
the  depth  of  20  or  30  feet.  It  is  undoubtedly  supplied 
by  springs  from  below,  as  the  water  is  coldest  near  the 
bottom.  It  contains  trout,  bass,  and  perch.  There  are 
deer  in  the  neighbouring  forest.  The  outlet  which  leads 
to  Lake  Champlain  contains  three  large  falls  and  rapids. 
The  lake  never  rises  more  than  two  feet. 

The  three  best  points  of  view  are  at  Fort  George,  a 
place  north  of  Shelving  Rock,  14  miles,  and  another  at 
Sabbath  Day  Point,  21  miles  from  the  head  of  the  lake. 
The  last  view  is  taken  southward,  the  other  two  north 
ward. 

This  beautiful  basin  with  its  pure  crystal  water,  is 
bounded  by  two  ranges  of  mountains,  which,  in  some 
places  rising  with  a  bold  and  hasty  ascent  from  the  water, 
and  in  others  descending  with  a  graceful  sweep  from  a 
great  height  to  a  broad  and  level  margin,  furnish  it  with 
a  charming  variety  of  scenery,  which  every  change  of 
weather,  as  well  as  every  change  of  position,  presents  in 
new  and  countless  beauties.  The  intermixture  of  culti 
vation  with  the  wild  scenes  of  nature  is  extremely  agree 
able;  and  ihe  undulating  surface  of  the  well-tilled  farm 
is  often  contrasted  with  the  deep  shade  of  the  native  forest, 
and  the  naked,  weather-beaten  cliffs,  where  no  vegetation 
can  dwell. 

The  situation  ol  the  Hotel  is  delightful,  surpassing 
that  of  almost  every  other  to  be  found  in  this  part  of  the 
country,  and  the  apartments  are  so  arranged  that  half  of 
them  look  out  upon  the  lake.  A  green  and  handsome 
slope  descends  about  200  yards  to  the  very  margin. 
9 


92  TEA    ISLAND. 

There  \s  the  wharf,  at  which  the  steamboat  receives  and 
lands  her  passengers.  The  dischaige  of  a  gun  makes 
fine  echoes  among  the  mountains  in  a  clear  night. 

The  lake  is  here  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  wide, 
and  the  range  of  mountains  opposite,  which  are  high  and 
uninterrupted,  is  quite  uncultivated  with  the  exception 
of  a  few  farms  near  the  shore  ;  the  other  parts  being  co 
vered  with  trees  almost  to  the  water. 

On  the  right  is  seen  the  south  end  of  the  lake,  which 
is  formed  of  low  land  for  some  distance  back,  succeeded 
by  French  Mountain  in  the  rear  On  a  little  point, 
half  covered  with  trees,  and  rising  only  about  25  feet 
above  the  water,  is  the  site  of  Fort  William  Henry  ;  and 
about  a  mile  towards  the  southeast  from  it,  on  a  con 
siderable  elevation,  arc  the  ruins  of  Fort  George.  See 
page  93. 

EXCURSIONS  ON  THE  LAKE.  Boats  are  kept  at  the 
wharf  to  convey  passengers  to  any  part  of  the  neighbour 
ing  shores  and  islands.  Fine  perch,  or  black  bass,  (Perca 
Franklinia,)  are  caught  in  abundance  almost  everywhere ; 
and  trout,  at  the  mouth  of  a  small  stream  near  the  south 
end.  Fishing  rods  and  tackle  may  be  obtained  at  the  ho 
tel  ;  and  a  variety  of  other  fish  are  to  be  found. 

DIAMOND  ISLAND  is  a  few  miles  down  the  lake,  and 
is  famous  for  abounding  in  crystals  of  quartz,  which  are 
found  in  a  loose  rock  by  digging  a  little  under  the  sur 
face.  They  are  found,  however,  in  equal  numbers  in 
several  of  the  other  islands  ;  and  it  is  easy  to  purchase 
them. 

TEA  ISLAND,  about  2  miles  down  the  lake,  is  another 
favourite  retreat.  The  little  bay  in  which  the  boats  land 
is  remarkably  retired  and  beautiful,  and  there  is  an.  old 
hut  standing  which  affords  something  of  a  shelter. 

LONG  ISLA.ND  contains  about  100  acres,  and  has  been 
inhabited  and  cultivated  Beside  these,  there  are  many 
other  islands  on  the  neighbouring  parts  of  the  lake  ;  and 
those  who  are  fond  of  such  excursions,  would  be  highly 
pleased  with  devoting  several  days  to  visit  them.  The 
finest  cluster  is  in  the  Narrows,  about  12  miles  distant. 

West  of  the  village  is  a  remarkable  conical  eminence, 
called  Rattlesnakes1  Cobble,  or  Prospect  Httl.  This,  as 


LAKE   GEORGE.  93 

well  as  the  mountains  beyond  it,  is  the  habitation  of  bears 
and  deer,  and  much  infested  with  rattlesnakes.  The 
view  from  the  top  is  very  fine. 

The  FRENCH  APPROACHES.  The  village  of  Caldwell 
is  of  recent  date.  In  the  French  war,  during  the  siege 
of  Fort  William  Henry,  the  ground  which  it  now  occu 
pies  wa?  crossed  by  the  trenches  and  batteries  with  which 
Montcalm  finally  succeeded  in  forcing  the  capitulation  of 
that  little  fortress. 

The  place  where  he  landed  \vith  his  army  is  the  little 
cove  just  behind  the  new  stone  building,  a  few  steps  north 
of  the  hotel.  He  erected  his  battery  near  the  shore,  and 
ran  his  first  trench  across  the  street  into  the  fields  in  front 
of  the  hotel.  The  remains  may  still  be  traced,  as  well  as 
the  marks  of  a  small  rnortar  battery,  near  the  bars  of  a 
fence  leading  to  a  small  house.  Another  line  runs  to  the 
bank  of  the  lake,  on  this  side  of  the  brook,  where  was 
also  a  battery ;  and  another  borders  the  swamp  to  the 
right,  and  another  turns  southward  along  the  high  ground. 
Behind  this,  in  a  pine  wood,  are  the  graves  of  about  10*00 
French  soldiers,  who  died  in  the  fort. 

BATTLE  OF  LAKE  GEORGE.  In  1755,  the  year  after 
the  commencement  of  the  French  War,  3000  men  were 
sent  out  from  France  to  Quebec,  for  the  purpose  of  tak 
ing  Oswego  Fort.  This  was  situated  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Oswego  or  Onondago  River,  and  on  the  shore  of  Lake 
Ontario. 

General  Johnson,  (afterwards  Sir  William,)  also  march 
ed  to  the  south  end  of  Lake  George  with  a  consider 
able  number  of  men,  joined  by  the  famous  Capt.  Hend- 
rick,  with  many  Indians  of  the  Five  Nations,  intending  to 
take  Fort  Frederick,  now  Crown  Point.  Gen.  Dieskau 
•was  sent  to  oppose  him,  with  3000  men,  principally  from 
the  body  of  French  troops  mentioned  at  Quebec.  On 
reaching  South  Bay,  and  learning  the  situation  of  Fort 
Lyman  (now  Fort  Edward,)  he  wished  to  attack  it  and 
cutoff  the  retreat  of  Gen.  Johnson.  The  Indians  and  Ca 
nadians,  however,  were  in  dread  of  the  cannon  with 
which  it  was  supposed  to  be  defended,  and  he  was  obliged 
to  march  against  Johnson. 

Sunday,  Sept.  7th,  at  midnight,   a  scout  brought  John- 


94  BATTLE   OF   LAKE   GEORGE. 

son  intelligence  that  Dieskau  was  coming ;  who  suntlSOQ 
men  out  in  the  morning,  under  the  command  of  Col. 
Ephraim  Williams.  The  enemy  were  in  ambush  at  Rocky 
Brook,  drawn  up  in  a  semicircle,  into  which  the  English 
entered  before  they  knew  it.  A  heavy  fire  from  three 
sides  first  showed  the  position  of  their  enemies.  The  En 
glish  stood  their  ground  valiantly ;  but  Cols.  Williams  and 
Hendrick  being  both  shot  down,  together  with  many  others, 
they  were  obliged  to  begin  their  retreat,which  was  conduct 
ed  by  Col.  Whiting  with  the  greatest  coolness  and  success. 
The  centre  of  the  English  army  was  posted  on  the  hill 
where  the  ruins  of  Fort  George  now  are;  and  the  French 
were  discovered  by  them  at  half  past  11.  Dieskau  halted 
at  the  sight  of  his  enemies,  probably  entertaining  some 
mistaken  idea  of  the  strength  of  their  position,  and  gave 
them  time  to  recover  from  their  panic.  The  ground  on 
both  sides  of  the  English  camp  was  marshy  and  covered 
with  trees,  and  Dieskau  sent  his  Indians  out  on  the  right 
flank  and  the  Canadians  on  the  left  to  surround  them. 
Col.  Pomeroy,  however,  soon  put  the  former  to  flight  with 
a  few  cannon  shots.  Dieskau  then  brought  up  his  troops 
in  front,  and  made  them  fire  by  platoons,  with  very  little 
effect.  Gen.  Johnson  (happily  for  his  own  troops,)  was 
slightly  wounded  in  the  thigh,  and  had  to  walk  back  to 
his  tent,  leaving  the  command  with  Gen.  Lyman.  He 
directed  the  defence  for  five  hours,  aided  by  Capt.  Eyre's 
artillery  ;  when  the  French  turned  upon  the  English  right, 
which  consisted  of  Ruggles's,  Pomeroy's  and  Tittlecomb's 
regiments,  and  extended  from  the  road  to  where  Fort 
William  Henry  was  afterwards  built.  Here  they  fought 
an  hour,  but  the  English  nnd  Indians  charging  them,  they 
took  to  flight  and  many  were  killed.  Gen.  Dieskau  him 
self  was  found  leaning  against  a  stump  wounded — a  sol 
dier  approaching  saw  him  put  his  hand  to  his  waist,  to  take 
out  his  watch,  which  he  intended  to  offer  to  him,  and  sup 
posing  he  was  drawing  a  pistol,  shot  him  through  the 
thigh.  He  was  carried  to  the  fort  by  eight  men  in  a 
blanket,  and  it  is  said  deterred  Johnson  from  ordering  a 
pursuit,  by  saying  he  had  a  strong  force  near  at  hand. 
Gen.  Lyman  urged  to  follow  up  their  victory ;  but  that 
was  probably  a  sufficient  reason  for  its  being  refused  by  a 
superior  officer,  who  looked  upon  his  great  talents  with 


MASSACRE  AT  FORT  WILLIAM  HENRY.  95 

jealousy ;  and,  in  spite  of  the  advantage  the  country  had 
derived  from  his  services,  at  a  time  when  they  where 
peculiarly  valuable,  did  not  even  mention  the  name  of 
Gen.  Lyman  in  his  account  of  the  battle! — Johnson  was 
made  a  Baronet,  and  Lyman  lingered  out  a  few  years  in 
poverty  and  disappointment,  and  died  without  receiving 
even  the  notice  of  the  British  government. 

The  English  are  said  to  have  lost  only  216  in  killed  and 
96  wounded.  Gen.  Dieskau  estimated  his  own  loss  at 
1000— the  English  called  it  much  less.  The  principal 
were  a  Major  General,  and  M.  de  St.  Pierre  the  comman 
der  of  the  Indians.  The  French  lost  their  baggage  dur 
ing  the  action,  left  two  miles  in  their  rear,  it  being  attacked 
by  Captains  Folsom  and  McGinnies  with  about  100  New- 
York  troops ;  who  then  lay  in  wait  for  the  retreating 
French,  and  killed  great  numbers  of  them. 

Gen.  Johnson  might  have  taken  Crown  Point ;  but  he 
delayed  it  so  long,  that  the  French  advanced  to  Ticonde- 
roga  and  there  fortified  themselves  securely. 

But  the  Battle  of  Lake  George  is  not  the  only  nor 
the  most  sanguinary  scene  of  former  times  which  the  tra 
veller  has  to  trace  on  this  sadly  interesting  spot.  The  his- 
tory  of  the  French  war  recites  a  melancholj  tale  of  blood 
shed  here,  only  two  years  afterwards,  in  1757. 

The  Capture  and  Massacre  of  Fort  William  Henry. 
In  1757,  the  Earl  of  Loudon,  British  Commander  in  Chief 
in  America,  made  an  unsuccessful  attempt  by  sea  against 
Louisburg  ;  and  before  his  return  to  New-York  in  August, 
the  Fi'onch  from  Ticonderoga  under  the  Marquis  de  Mont- 
calm,  had  made  three  attacks  on  Fort  William  Henry, 
On  the  1st  of  Aug.  they  set  out  again,  and  landed  at  French 
man's  Point.  On  the  evening  of  the  2d,  they  crossed  to- 
the  west  side  of  Lake  George,  within  twc  miles  of  the  fort, 
and  the  next  morning  sent  in  their  summons.  Colonel 
Monroe  defended  himself  resolutely  for  six  days,  hoping 
relief  from  Col.  Webb  and  his  6000  men  at  Fort  Ed 
ward  ;  but  having  waited  in  vain  and  burst  ten  of  his 
largest  cannon,  he  was  obliged  to  surrender,  and  marched 
out  with  the  honours  of  war  and  an  assurance  of  being: 
protected  from  the  Indians  in  Montcalm's  army. 

He  had  gone  but  a  little  way,  however,  when  the  sa 


96  ATTACK   ON    FORT   TICONDEROOi. 

vages  fell  upon  his  troops  and  butchered  about  1500 
women,  and  children. 

Gen.  Webb's  conduct  was  most  inhuman.  The  pro* 
vincial  troops  were  kept  under  arms  for  one  whole  day 
after  the  news  of  the  siege  arrived  at  Fort  Edward,  and 
Sir  William  Johnson  was  very  desirous  to  march  with 
them  to  its  relief  $  but  Webb  ordered  them  back  to  their* 
quarters,  and  sent  a  messenger  to  Col.  Monroe  advising 
him  to  surrender. 

Attack  on  Fort  Ticondcroga,  The  south  end  of  Lake 
George  was  the  scene  of  a  splendid  embarkation  on  the 
4th  of  July  of  the  following  year,  (1758,)  when  10,000 
provincial  troops,  and  6  or  7000  regulars  assembled  at 
this  place  to  proceed  against  Ticonderoga.*  101)5  boats 
were  drawn  up  to  the  shore  one  clear  delightful  summer 
morning,  and  were  speedily  filled  with  this  powerful  army, 
excepting  only  a  small  body  left  with  the  baggage.  Suc 
cess  was  confidently  expected,  and  the  appearance  of  the 
train  was  more  like  that  of  a  triumphant  return  from  war. 
The  boats  were  decorated  with  gaudy  streamers,  and  the 
oars  moved  to  martial  music. 

The  traveller  will  follow  their  route  in  the  steamboat, 
for  which  see  below. 

They  landed  at  the  north  end  of  the  lake  on  the  following 
morning,  and  Were  ordered  to  march  on  in  four  columns. 
The  obstructions  of  the  forest  however  soon  broke  their 
ranks;  when  Lard  Howe  with  his  centre  column,  falling  in 
with  the  enemy's  advance  guard,  who  were  on  their  re- 
ireat  and  bewildered,  was  attacked  with  a  sudden  war 
whoop  and  immediately  killed.  The  provincials  were 
accustomed  to  the  woods,  and  drove  back  their  enemies, 
killing  about  300*  and  taking  148  prisoners,  and  all  re 
turned  to  the  landing.  Tn  the  morning,  Col.  Bradstreet 
took  possession  of  the  mill  at  the  great  falls  on  the  river, 
and  the  army  were  soon  brought  to  the  French  lines, 
which  were  thrown  up  across  the  isthmus  and  not  finished. 
This  intrenchment  is  still  to  be  seen  in  tolerable  preserva- 

*  Lord  Howe,  who  accompanied  this  expedition,  was  a  young1 
nobleman  of  amiable  disposition  nnd  the  most  prepossessing  man 
ners,  and  was  almost  idolized  by  the  army,  as  well  a*  admired 
aad  loved  by  tlio  <jou:ltry. 


LAKE  GEOttGg.  97 


tictt.  It  had  two  redoubts  and  a  deep  abattis,  and  is  said 
to  have  been  8  or  9  feet  high.  The  attack  was  vigorous, 
ttnd  the  defence  obstinate.  The  battle  continued  for  four* 
hours,  during  which  the  English  were  repulsed  three 
times.  The  Highland  regiment  distinguished  itself,  and 
suffered  severely  The  English  loss,  in  all,  was  1944, 
principally  regulars;  the  French  very  trifling,  although 
they  are  said  not  to  have  imagined  the  defence  possible. 
Their  force  is  differently  stated  from  1200  to  6000.  Not- 
withstand:ng  his  superiority  of  force,  Abercrombie  shame 
fully  ordered  a  retreat  }  and  thus  terminated  the  opera 
tions  of  the  year. 

Voyage  down  Lake  George.  Leaving  Caldwell,  the 
steamboat  passes  Tea  Island,  Diamond,  Long,  and  other 
Islands,  particularly  the  Two  Sisters  ;  and  then  the  lake 
becomes  wider,  and  the  surface  more  uninterrupted,  the 
course  of  the  boat  being  directly  towards  (Tongue  Moun* 
tain.  That  which  partly  shuts  it  in  from  this  direction 
on  the  right,  is  Shelving  Rock;  and  Black  Mountain 
shows  its  rounded  summit  beyond  it,  a  little  to  the  right. 
This  last  is  supposed  to  be  about  2200  feet  high,  and  is 
considered  the  highest  mountain  on  the  lake. 

Twelve  Mile  Island,  is  seen  just  ahead.  It  is  of  a 
singularly  rounded  form,  covered  with  trees,  with  the 
Utmost  regularity. 

The.  Narrows.  The  lake  is  very  much  contracted 
where  it  passes  between  the  mountains  just  mentioned,, 
and  their  surface  is  for  several  miles  broken  by  innumer 
able  islands.  These  are  of  various  sizes,  but  generally 
verv  small,  and  of  little  elevation.  A  few  of  them  are 
named,  as  Green,  Bass,  Lonetree  Islands. 

Some  of  them  are  covered  with  trees,  others  with  shrubs? 
some  show  little  lawns  or  spots  of  grass,  heaps  of  bar 
ren  rocks,  or  gentle  sloping  shores;  and  mcst  of  them 
are  ornamented  with  graceful  pines,  hemlocks,  and  other 
tall  trees,  collected  in  groups,  or  standing  alone,  and 
disposed  with  most  charming  variety. 

After  passing  the  Narrows,  the  lake  widens  again,  and 
the  retrospect  is,  for  several  miles,  through  that  passage, 
•with  Tongue  Mountain  on  the  west,  and  Black  Mountain 
opposite,  the  Luzerne  range  appearing  at  a  great  distance 
between  them.  The  mountains  in  view  have  generally 


58  ROGERS'  SLIDE. 

rounded  summits;  but  the  sidesare  in  many  places 

by  precipitous    ledges.     They  are   inhabited   by  wolves, 

deer,  rattlesnakes,  &c. 

SABBATH  DAY  POINT.-—- This  is  a  low  neck  of  land, 
stretching  into  the  lake  from  the  western  shore,  and  con 
taining  the  little  village  of  Hague.  That  on  the  opposite 
shore  is  Putman. 

On  Sabbath  Day  Point,  Lord  Amherst,  with  his  nume* 
rous  host,  stopped  for  refreshment  upon  the  morning  of 
the  Sabbath,  and  gave  this  beautiful  point  the  name  by 
which  it  is  now  known.  It  is  a  charming  spot  and  sus 
ceptible  of  the  greatest  embellishment. 

ROGERS'  ROCK  AND  ANTHONY'S  NOSE.— These  are  two 
mountains  at  which  the  lake  contracts  itself  again  to  pass 
between  them.  Anthony's  Nose  presents  a  precipice,  on 
the  eastern  shore,  as  we  enter  the  strait,  and  the  firing  of 
a  gun  produces  a  fine  echo.  Rogers1  Rock  or  Rogers'9 
Slide  is  a  still  more  formidable  one,  on  the  other  hand,  a 
little  further  on.  The  last  retrospect  up  the  lake  is  still 
very  fine,  even  from  this  point — Black  Mountain  being  yet 
clearly  to  be  seen. 

Rogers'  Slide  has  its  name  from  Capt.  Rogers,  a  parti 
san  oificer  who  distinguished  himself  in  the  French  war 
by  his  boldness,  activity,  and  success.  He  commanded 
an  expedition  which  left  Crown  Point,  in  the  year  1756 
against,  the  Canadian  frontiers,  and  cut  off  the  Indian  vil 
lage  of  St.  Francis,  afterwards  returning  with  the  severest 
hardships,  by  the  way  of  Connecticut  River.  Tradition 
pays,  that  he  was  at  another  time  closely  pursued  by  a  par 
ty  of  Indians,  and  forced  to  retreat  to  the  verge  of  this 
mountain.  Finding  no  other  way  to  escape,  he  descended 
half  down  by  the  ravine  which  opens  towards  the  south, 
and  then  by  a  sudden  turn  came  to  the  east  side,  where  is 
is  a  precipice  about  200  feet  high,  of  smooth  rock,  and 
nearly  perpendicular,  down  which  he  slipped  upon  his 
Know  shoes  to  the  lake,  escaping  upon  the  ice.  This  seems 
almost  incredible;  and  other  accounts  have  been  given  of 
it.  Some  say,  that  the  Indians  supposed  he  had  fallen  off 
the  verge  and  perished,  and  others,  that  he  threw  off  hi* 
pack  that  way  to  favour  that  belief.  The  water  is  deep 
ut  the  bottom,  and  fine  trout  are  caught  there  with  a  long 
lina.  Interesting  minerals  art  found  hera. 


N.YVest 
J*ay( 


<.' 


,^ 


C»'0V 


^1^/WV 

Jf*at*'*>%6dakfa:, 

M 


'^ 


Chuestcri 


FORTRESS    OF   T1CONDEROGA.  99 

The  lake  here  assumes  the  appearance  of  a  narrow 
pond  for  three  or  four  miles,  and  seems  closed  at  both 
ends.  The  ground  is  still  elevated  on  both  sides,  but  hills 
have  succeeded  to  mountains,  and  some  of  these  are  at 
length  overtopped  by  Black  Mountain,  which,  although  at 
such  a  distance,  at  length  makes  its  appearance  again,  and 
continues  in  sight. 

The  lake  at  length  diminishes  to  a  very  narrow  stream, 
and  the  bottom  becomes  gradually  covered  with  weeds. 

Lord  Howe's  Landing  is  just  behind  an  island  of  3 
acres,  on  the  left  hand  at  the  entrance  of  the  creek.  Here 
is  the  spot  were  the  unfortunate  expedition  of  Abercrombie 
effected  their  landing,  and  on  the  island  they  established 
their  hospital,  on  their  way  to  the  attack  of  Ticonderoga. 

The  steamboat  passes  on  some  distance  beyond  this 
place,  and  lands  her  passengers  on  the  other  side,  where 
carriages  are  found  in  waiting  to  convey  them  to  Ticon 
deroga,  three  miles,  over  a  rough  road.  The  boat  waits  3£ 
hours  for  the  return  of  the  coaches. 

Abercrombie's  army  passed  for  some  part  of  the  way 
along  the  route  we  travel.  Passing  the  Upper  Falls,  which 
are  the  highest,  he  forded  the  creek  above  the  second. 
At  the  falls  near  the  bridge  which  we  pass,  just  above  the 
saw  mills,  was  a  stone  block  house ;  and  there  was  a  re 
doubt  on  the  north  side  of  the  stream  near  the  bridge, 
where,  aain  several  other  places,  there  was  some  fighting 
to  carry  the  French  out-posts. 

At  the  Upper  Falls  are  several  valuable  saw  mills  and 
forges,  and  the  scenery  is  highly  picturesque. 

THE  FORTRESS  OF  TICONDEROGA. — This  famous  old 
fortress,  or  rather  its  remains,  are  distinctly  seen  from 
Lake  Champlain,  though  from  the  direction  by  which  we 
approach  it  they  are  not  discovered  until  we  approach 
near  them.  An  elevated  piece  of  land,  gently  sloping  to 
wards  the  south,  and  ending  abruptly  over  a  bend  of  the 
lake,  appears  partially  covered  with  trees,  and  crowned 
near  its  extremity  with  a  cluster  of  broken  walls  and  chim 
neys.  There  is  a  meadow  on  the  eastern  side,  running  to 
the  base  of  the  ridge,  and  across  this  is  a  foot  path  from 
the  ferry  to  the  fort,  by  the  nearest  way  ;  a  carriage  road 
also  leads  from  the  ferry  to  the  ridge,  and  thence  down  to 
the  same  place. 

THE  OLD  FRENCH  LINES,  where  General  Abercrombie 


100  RUINS  OF  THE  FORT. 

was  defeated  in  1758,  are  the  only  part  of  the  fortification 
which  was  ever  the  scene  of  a  battle.  They  commenced 
on  the  east  side,  at  a  battery  of  heavy  cannon  on  the  shore, 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  south  of  the  ferry.  The  remains 
of  the  breast  work  can  yet  be  seen.  The  lines  were  drawn 
in  a  zig-zag;  first  stretching  off  to  the  right,  along  the  side 
of  marshy  ground,  to  a  cluster  of  bushes,  where  was  a  bat 
tery  ;  and  then  to  the  left  to  the  verge  of  a  wood,  where 
was  another. 

Their  course  may  be  distinctly  traced  in  this  manner, 
across  the  ridge  of  land  at  its  highest  elevation,  over  to  the 
brow  of  a  steep  bank  looking  towards  the  outlet  of  Lake 
George.  The  woods  which  now  so  much  interrupt  the 
sight,  have  grown  since  the  evacuation  of  the  fortress, 
after  the  revolutionary  war. 

There  is  a  fine  spring  of  water  near  the  western  part 
of  the  French  lines,  where  a  bloody  engagement  occurred 
between  two  hostile  parties  during  the  battle.  Bodies  of 
men  have  been  dug  up  hereabouts  within  a  few  years,  and 
shot  were  formerly  very  frequently  found  in  old  timber. 

MOUNT  HOPE  is  a  hill  about  a  mile  north  from  this 
place.  It  was  occupied  by  Gen.  Burgoyne's  British  line, 
which  formed  the  right  wing  on  his  approach  to  Ticon- 
deroga,  on  the  2d  of  June,  1777  ;  and  on  the  following 
morning  j  while  they  were  approaching  through  the  woods 
unsuspicious  and  undiscovered,  one  of  their  soldiers  was 
observed  and  fired  upon  from  a  salient  angle  of  the  lines. 
This  alarmed  the  British,  who  fired;  and  the  Americans 
were  so  much  excited  that  they  returned  three  volleys, 
without  orders  from  their  officers.  Strange  as  it  may 
Beem  not  a  man  was  killed  on  either  side,  and  the  enemy 
retired  without  attempting  any  thing  further  there,  for  they 
succeeded  in  capturing  the  fortress  in  a  few  days,  by  gaining 
the  top  of  Mount  Defiance  with  their  cannon. 

In  proceeding  from  the  French  lines  south  towards  the 
fortress,  by  a  gentle  descent,  before  arriving  there,  at  the 
distance  of  about  120  yard?,  you  pass  an  old  intrench- 
ment;  and  about  150  yards  further  bring  you  to  the  edge 
of  the  outer  ditch  or  counterscarp,  where  there  was  a  row 
of  palisadoes.  Five  steps  more  bring  you  to  the  walled 
side  of  the  ditch,  which  is  still  eight  feet  deep  in  some 
places,  and  therefore  impassable  except  where  it  has  been 
partly  filled  up.  Its  breadth  is  generally  about  8  or  9 


PORTRESS    OK    TICONDEROGA.  101 

yards,  and  the  wall  of  the  fortress  on  the  other  side  in 
some  places  20  or  25  feet  high 

The  fortress  is  of  an  angular  form,  and  embraces  a  largo 
tract  of  ground,  being  divided  into  parts  by  deep  ditches, 
which  were  defended  by  cannon  and  musketry,  and  added 
very  much  to  the  security  of  the  place.  The  communi 
cation  between  these  different  parts  was  kept  up  by  stone 
staircases,  placed  in  convenient  positions  of  the  angles, 
all  so  calculated  as  to  make  the  descent  into  the  ditches, 
and  the  ascent,  circuitous  and  intricate ;  and  open  to  the 
cannon  and  small  arms.  A  glance  at  some  of  those  which 
remain  will  show  the  plan.  The  walls  were  originally 
much  higher  than  at  present,  being  raised  by  superstruc 
tures  of  logs  filled  in  with  earth. 

The  Barracks  formed  an  oblong,  and  the  walls  still  re 
main  of  all  except  those  on  the  eastern  side ;  their  form  is 
plainly  distinguishable.  The  parade,  is  about  52£  yards 
long,  and  8  in  breadth.  The  barracks,  &c.  the  walls 
of  which  remain  on  the  north,  south,  and  west  sides,  are 
built  of  the  rough  blue  limestone  of  which  the  neighbouring 
rocks  are  formed,  two  stories  high;  and  these  with  the 
chimneys,  several  of  which  are  standing,  are  the  principal 
objects  seen  from  a  distance.  The  entrances  to  this  court 
yard  or  parade,  are  between  the  buildings,  and  quite  nar 
row.  By  the  southern  entrance,  Ethan  Allen  entered  with 
his  83  raw  soldiers  when  he  surprised  the  fortress  on  the 
18th  May,  1775  ;  and  on  reaching  the  court  yard  and 
calling  on  the  commander  to  surrender,  the  British  officer, 
Capt.  Deplace,  made  his  appearance  at  a  window  and 
submitted,  delivering  up  3  officers  and  44  rank  and  file. 
In  consequence  of  this  coupde  main,  this  important  place 
was  in  the  hands  of  the  Americans  until  the  arrival  of  Bur- 
goyne  in  1777. 

The  troops  in  the  garrison  had  become  loose  disciplina 
rians.  A  body  of  men  had  been  dispatched  from  Con 
necticut  to  surprise  the  place,  and  approached  upon  the 
opposite  shore,  but  were  unprovided  with  a  conveyance 
to  the  intended  point  of  theii  enterprise.  A  countryman, 
who  had  been  in  the  habit  of  frequently  visiting  the  fort, 
was  made  acquainted  with  their  views,  crossed  the  lake 
by  day  light,  went  carefully  into  the  fort,  and  observed  in 
what  part  of  the  parade  ground  the  arms  were  stacked. 


102  MB.  PELL'S  GARDEN. 

Being  almost  domic i Hated  by  the  frequency  of  his  previous 
visits,  he  lounged  away  his  time  until  night  approached. 
He  then  possessed  himself  of  a  large  bateau  owned  by  the 
garrison,  and  recrossed  the  lake.  Allen  having  joined 
the  band  embarked,  effected  a  landing  about  one  mile 
north  of  the  fort,  and  proceeded  across  the  meadows, 
shrouded  by  the  night,  and  made  good  their  daring  enter 
prise,  by  threatening  the  sentry  and  taking  immediate 
possession  of  the  fire  arms,  as  pointed  out  by  their  avant 
courier. 

The  battlements  of  Ticonderoga  first  bore  the  flag  of 
independence  This  circumstance  should  of  itself  render 
this  ruin,  so  fine  in  other  associations,  interesting  to  the 
traveller. 

At  each  corner  was  a  bastion  or  a  demi-bastion ;  and 
under  that  in  the  northeastern  one  is  a  subterranean 
magazine.  The  cellars  south  of  this,  which  belonged  to 
the  demolished  buildings,  and  are  almost  fiUed  up,  have  a 
room  or  two  with  fire  places  still  distinguishable. 

THE  GRENADIERS'  BATTERY,  is  situated  on  a  rocky 
point  towards  the  east  from  the  main  fortress.  They 
were  connected  by  a  covered  way,  the  traces  of  which  are 
distinctly  visible. 

Still  in  advance  of  the  Grenadiers'  Batter}'  is  a  small 
work  of  earth,  which  might  have  contained  5  or  6  guns } 
while  in  front  of  it,  and  on  the  extreme  point,  two  or  three 
more  guns  appear  to  have  been  placed  between  the  rocks, 
to  fire  down  upon  the  water,  about  40  feet  below.  The 
shrubs  and  trees  which  have  grown  up  since  the  evacua 
tion  of  the  place,  with  the  ivy  which  hangs  everywhere 
among  the  rocks,  give  the  spot  a  very  romantic  appear 
ance  ;  and  if  the  visitors  have  furnished  themselves  with 
refreshments,  they  will  not  find  a  more  delightful  place  to 
regale  themselves.  A  little  further  east,  and  under  the 
bank,  is  an  old  stone  house,  formerly  a  store  belonging  to 
the  fort.  Near  this  is  the  Hotel,  See  p.  88  &  99. 

On  a  spot  formerly  occupied  as  the  King's  Garden, 
Mr.  Pell  has  a  fine  garden,  abounding  in  the  choicest  fruits 
imported  from  Europe,  and  transported  from  the  celebrat 
ed  nurseries  of  Long  Island.  Mr.  Pell  has  been  a  very 
successful  propagator  of  the  locust  tree,  (Robinia  Pseudo 
acacia  of  Linmeus,)  thousands  of  which  are  growing  on 


FORTRESS    OF    T1CONDEROGA.  103 

these  grounds  in  the  most  flourishing  manner :  here  is  also 
the  Magnolia  Grandifiora,  never  before  cultivated  in  so 
high  a  latitude;  the  horse  chesnut  (Castanea  Equinus,) 
and  upwards  of  70  varieties  of  the  gooseberry  from  Eu 
rope.  Here  also  we  find  the  beautiful  Catalpa,  and  the 
Liriodendron  tulipefera.  If  it  is  the  intention  of  the 
traveller  to  cross  the  lake,  to  the  neighbouring  Vermont 
shore,  where  are  still  some  slight  remains  of  Burgoyne's 
intrenchments,  he  will  be  much  pleased  with  a  walk  across 
the  meadows  to  the  upper  ferry,  a  distance  of  about  3-4  of 
a  mile.  This  will  remind  him,  if  he  has  been  abroad,  of 
the  park  scenery  of  England;  and  the  view  of  the  ruins 
from  those  meadows  is  strikingly  beautiful :  the  clumps  of 
trees,  the  circuitous  route,  the  view  of  Lake  Champlain  on 
the  right,  and  an  amphitheatre  of  wood  on  the  left,  make 
this  a  most  beautiful  and  interesting  route. 

Between  the  Grenadiers'  Battery  and  the  fortress,  the 
shore  retains  traces  of  many  little  terraces,  breastworks, 
and  buildings,  such  as  were  probably  work  shops,  barracks, 
s  tores,  &c. 

From  the  more  elevated  parts  of  the  works  the  visiter 
enjoys,  in  fine  weather,  a  delightful  view  of  the  lake  and 
the  surrounding  country.  On  the  right  is  the  outlet  of 
Lake  George,  winding  through  a  dark  and  narrow  valley, 
and  spreading  out  to  embrace  an  island  of  the  brightest 
verdure;  while  more  immediately  under  the  eye  lies  a 
fertile  little  meadow,  interspersed  with  a  few  trees  and 
clusters  of  shrubs,  and  after  the  hay  has  been  made  and 
stacked,  sometimes  enlivened  by  a  herd  of  horses  or 
cattle. 

MOUNT  DEFIANCE,  about  800  feet  high,  on  the  summit 
of  which  Gen.  Burgoyne's  troops  showed  themselves  on 
the  morning  of  July  4th,  1777,  with  a  battery  of  heavy 
cannon,  which  they  had  drawn  up  along  the  ridge  by  night, 
and  planted  in  that  commanding  position,  whence  they 
could  count  the  men  in  the  fort.  The  distance  to  the  sum 
mit  in  a  straight  line  is  about  a  mile,  so  that  the  defence 
of  Ticonderoga  would  have  been  impossible ;  and  on  the 
firing  of  a  few  shots  by  the  British  upon  a  vessel  in  the 
lake,  which  proved  the  range  of  their  guns,  the  Americans 
made  preparations  to  evacuate  the  place,  and  effected  their 
retreat  to  the  opposite  shore  during  the  night. 
10 


MOUNT  INDEPENDENCE  is  a  hill  of  comparatively  small 
•elevation  east  of  Mount  Defiance,  and  separated  from  it 
by  the  lake,  which  has  here  reduced  its  size  to  that  of  a 
small  river.  On  a  bank,  just  above  the  water,  are  the  re 
mains  of  a  zig-zag  battery  for  about  40  or  50  guns,  running 
across  a  little  corn  field  behind  a  house,  and  making  five  or 
six  angles*  The  Horse  Shoe  Battery  is  traceable  on  an 
•elevation  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  the  rear.  A  bridge 
once  connected  Ticonderoga  with  Mount  Defiance,  the 
•buttresses  of  which  are  remaining,  to  the  great  annoyance 
of  the  navigators  of  the  lake;  the  steamboat  passes  to  the 
south  of  them.  On  the  west  shore,  (neav  the  stone  store 
house,)  Arnold,  when  pursued  by  the  British,  caused  his 
flotilla  to  be  run  on  shore.  These  hn!ks  remain  almost  as 
sound  as  when  first  stranded.  A  forty-two  pounder  is  said 
to  have  ranged  from  the  Horse  Shoe  over  this  channel, 
(now  marked  by  a  buoy,)  and  the  fortress. 

After  the  Revolutionary  war.  about  500  cannon  were 
lying  about  the  fortress,  lines,  &c.  many  of  them  as  left 
by  the  English,  with  their  trunnions  knocked  off.  A  twen 
ty-four  pounder  was  taken  to  the  forge  at  Fair-Haven, 
some  few  years  ago,  and  discharged  by  the  heat,  after 
lying  loaded  for  above  twenty  years,  and  a  considerable 
time  at  the  bottom  of  the  lake. 

The  mountainous  region  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake 
abounds  with  deer,  and  considerable  numbers  are  killed 
every  season. 

The  Passage  from  Ticonderoga  down  Lake  Champlain 
is  very  pleasant,  abounding,  the  greater  part  of  the  way 
to  Canada,  with  fine  natural  scenes. 

FIVE  MILE  POINT.  The  lake  is  narrow  at  this  place, 
which  is  remarkable  as  the  landing  place  of  Gen.  Bur- 
goyne's  expedition,  as  mentioned  on  p.  100.  Mountains 
appear  in  the  we&t  and  northwest,  with  occasional  inter 
vals  all  the  way  up  to  Crown  Point;  while  in  the  north,  is 
a  lofty  and  imposing  range,  with  two  or  three  peaks  al 
most  bald  from  the  height  of  their  elevation.  Summits 
multiply  as  we  proceed,  and  distant  mountains  -arise  also 
in  the  northeast;  while  Mount  Defiance  and  other  emi 
nences  towards  the  south  bound  the  view  in  that  direc 
tion.  There  are  scattering1  farms  and  houses  on  both 
shores. 


KOJJTE  TO  CAS  ADA.  10& 

The  shores  are  in  this  part  strewed  with  the  fragments- 
of  blue  limestone  rock  with  organic  remains. 

The  immediate  shores  are  generally  low  all  the  way  to 
Crown  Point,  where  the  lake  suddenly  tarns  to  the  west 
at  a  right  angle,  and  at  the  distance  of  a  mile  as  suddenly 
to  the  north  again.  A  low  stretch  of  land-  covered  with  a 
young  forest  on  the  left,  conceals  the  approach  to  this  an 
cient  fortress,  which,  for  position,  as  well  as  appearance 
and  history,  may  be  called  the  Twin  sister  of  Ticonderoga,, 

CHIMNKT  POINT,  where  the  steamboat  often  receives  and 
lands  passengers,  is  on  the  north  side  of  the  lake,  with  a- 
large  public  house  in  a  pleasant  situation  ;  and  here  is  the 
place  to  stop  if  the  traveller  intends  to  visit  Crown  Point  r 
which  is  opposite,  across  a  ferry  3-4  of  a  mHe. 

THE  FORTRESS  OF  CROWN  POINT. — There  are  several 
old1  works  thrown  up  along  the  shore,  with  little  bays  be 
tween  them.  The  easternmost  one  is  called  the  Grena 
diers'  Battery,  the  middle  one  is  the  original  old  French 
fort  of  1731,  and  now  encloses  a  garden  ;  and  that  further 
•west  is  an  outwork  to  a  bastion  of  the  fortress.  The 
ground  on  which  the  old  fortifications  stand',  is  owned  by 
Major  J.  Churchill  of  the  U.S.  Army, 

The  fortress  i»  sitnated  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  back 
from  the  shore,  and  appears  much  like  Ticonderoga  from- 
a  distance,  showing  the  walls  and  chimneys  of  the  oldf 
barracks,  and  walls  of  earth  surrounding  them.  In  regard1 
to  its  plan,  however,  it  is  materially  different.  The  for 
tress  of  Crown  Point  was  a  star  werk,  being  in  the  form- 
of  a-  pentagon,  with  bastion?  a:  the  angles,  and  a  strong  re 
doubt  at  the  distance  of  250  or  300  yards  in  advance  of 
each  of  then).  The  fortress  is  surrounded  by  a  ditch 
walled  in  with  stone,  except  where  it  has  been  blasted 
into-  the  solid  rock  of  blue  limestone,  (as  is  the  case  in- 
many  parts,  from  rive  to  twenty-five  feet,)  and  even  into 
quartz  rock  which  underlays  it.  Univalve  shells  are- 
found  in  the  limestone  rock,  frequently  four  inches  in  di 
ameter.  The  walls  are  about  20  or  25  feet  high,  and 
there  is  a  convenient  path  running  entirely  round  upon  the 
top,  interrupted  only  by  the  gates  at  the  north  and  south 
sides.  Although  much  shaded  by  tall  sumacs,  some  fine- 
views  are  enjoyed  in  making  the  circuit,  which  is  not  fas- 
short  of  half  a  mile. 


106  FORTRESS    OF    CHOWN    POINT. 

Opposite  the  north  gate  is  a  small  ledge  of  rocks  ;  and 
close  by,  the  remains  of  a  covered  or  a  subterraneous  way 
to  the  lake  shore.  On  entering  the  fortress,  the  stranger 
finds  himself  in  a  level,  spacious  area,  bounded  on  the  left, 
and  in  front,  by  long  ruinous  buildings  of  stone  two 
stories  high,  and  the  first  220  feet  long,  while  the  ruins  of 
similar  ones  are  seen  on  two  sides  on  the  right.  This 
parade  is  about  500  feet  in  length.  The  place  was  sur 
prised  by  Col.  Warner  in  1775. 

The  view  from  the  walls  towards  the  north  is  very  fine  : 
looking  down  the  lake,  which  widens  at  the  distance  of  two 
or  three  miles,  you  have  Chimney  Point  on  the  right, 
and  two  other  points  projecting  beyond  the  distant  peak, 
called  CamcVs  Hump.  A  range  of  mountains  on  the  west 
ern  shore,  beginning  at  the  distance  of  18  miles,  including 
Bald  Peak,  gradually  approach  till  they  form  a  near  and 
bold  boundary  to  the  lake  on  the  left,  scattered  with  cleared 
farms  and  houses,  and  then  stretching  away  to  the  south, 
terminate  in  the  mountain  behind.  This  elevation,  although 
it  seems  almost  as  well  calculated  to  command  Crown 
Point  as  Mount  Defiance  does  Ticonderoga,  is  not  less  than 
four  miles  distant. 

Every  thing  about  this  old  fortress  bears  the  marks  of 
ruin.  Two  magazines  were  blown  up  ;  the  timbers  in 
the  south  barracks  are  burnt  black ;  a  portion  of  the 
shingled  roof  which  remains  serves  to  cover  a  little  hay 
mow  and  the  nests  of  robins  ;  while  some  of  the  entrances 
and  other  parts  are  fenced  up  for  a  sheep  fold.  The 
ground  around  it  is  much  covered  with  fragments  of 
blasted  rocks,  and  particularly  at  the  south,  with  the  ruins 
of  old  buildings.  The  trees  which  are  seen,  have  grown 
since  the  evacuation  of  the  place  :  and  on  one  of  the  angles 
is  an  inscription  of  the  date  of  the  fortress,  1756,  when  it 
was  constructed  on  a  greatly  enlarged  plan,  by  Gen.  Am- 
herst,  at  an  expense  of  two  millions  of  pounds  sterling. 

In  1777,  the  British  had  a  fleet  on  Lake  Champlain, 
composed  of  the  following  vessels:  ship  Inflexible,  Capt. 
Pringle,  carrying  18  twelve  pounders  ;  two  schooners,  one 
with  14  the  other  with  12  six  pounders  ;  a  flat-bottomed 
radeau  with  six  twenty-fours  and  six  twelves ;  and  20 
small  craft,  each  carrying  a  gun  from  nine  to  twenty-four 
pounders,  and  several  long  boats,  beside  boats  for  bnggage, 
stores.  &c. 


ROUTE    70    CAXAtDA.  107 

The  Americans  had  only  two  brigs,  one  corvetle,  one 
sloop,  three  galleys,  and  eight  gondolas,  the  largpst  vessel 
carrying  only  12  six  and  four  pounders.  These  were 
under  the  command  of  Arnold,  who  drew  them  up  between, 
the  island  of  Valincourt  and  the  western  shore,  where 
they  were  attacked.  They  fought  four  hours,  and  the- 
British  at  last  retreated ;  but  while  making  his  way  to- 
wards  Crown  Poirrt,  Arnold  was  overtaken,  and  nearly  all 
the  squadron  fled  up  the  lake,  passing  this  place  which 
was  evacuated.  Arnold  remained  fighting  as  long  as  pos 
sible,  and  did  not  leave  his  vessel  until  she  had  taken 
fire. 

Proceeding  down  the  lake,  the  breadth  of  it  soon  in 
creases,  and  at  the  two  islands  on  the  right  it  is  about  !£- 
miles  across.  A  little  further  is- 

Put-iji-Bay,  on  the  eastern  shose,  with  an  island  of  the 
same  name. 

SLOOP  ISLAND,  17  miles  from  Burlington,  is  lo-w  in  the' 
middle,  and  contains  several  trees,  which  look  not  unlike 
masts.  It  was  mistaken  for  a  sloop  in  a  misty  day,  in  the 
Revolutionary  or  French  war,  and  fired  upon  by  a  vesseL 
whence  its- name. 

At  HARTFORD  the  lake  suddenly  opens  to-  the  breadth  of 
several  miles,  and  a  new  scene  is  presented  to  view.  Ore 
the  west  side  is  a  rounded  island  covered  with  pine  treesr 
like  much  of  the  shore  previously  seen,  and  separated  from, 
the  main  land  only  by  a  narrow  rent  of  about  fifteen  feet. 
Apparently  just  within  this  aperture  is  a  rude  arch  of  rockr 
like  the  remains  of  an  ancient  bridge. 

BURLINGTON,  75  miles  from  Whitehall,  This  is  the 
largest  town  on  Lake  Champlain,  and  is  situated  in  » 
commanding  as  well  as  a  delightful  position.  The  lake 
suddenly  widens  as-  you  approach  it  from  the  south,,  and  a 
fine  semicircular  bay  puts  up  to  it  from  the  east,  sur 
rounded  by  a  crescent  of  high  ground,  under  the  shelter  of 
which  the  town  is  situated.  The  University  of  Vermont 
is  330  feet  above  the  lake.  The  view  from  the  top  of  the- 
hills  is  truly  admvrable  ;•  embracing  in  the  foreground  the 
elegant,  gardens  of  some  of  the  wealthier  inhabitants, 
the  College,  with  the  streets  of  Burlington  below,  the  curv 
ing  form  of  the  bav,  the  whole  breadth  of  the  lake,  here 
ten  miles  across,  and,  a  noble  chain,  of  distant  blue  inouu- 
10* 


108 

tains  on  the  opposite  side.  The  road  to  Windsor  by  ttid 
Gulf  is  very  good  and  interesting.  A  steamboat  goes  to 
Pittsburgh  and  returns  daily. 

PORT  KENT,  10  miles,  is  a  small  village  on  the  western 
shore,  sixteen  miles  from  Burlington.  It  serves  as  a  port 
to  the  iron  works  established  a  little  back  in  the  country, 
where  there  is  a  vast  quantity  of  ore. 

The  Walled  Rocks,  and  the  Falls  of  the  An  Sable. 
These  are  natural  curiosities  of  a  superior  kind,  although, 
from  their  secluded  situation,  they  have  not  yet  attracted 
general  attention.  To  visit  them,  the  traveller  may  land 
tit  Port  Kent,  take  a  carriage  in  waiting  to  Keeseville, 
4  m.  a  village  where  an  active  business  is  carried  on  in 
lumber  and  iron.  There  are  saw-mills  at  a  fall  in  the 
fiver.  A  guide  will  be  desirable.  First,  1^  m.  northeast, 
passing  through  a  fine  wood  near  the  road,  you  reach  the 
brow  of  a  rock,  and  have  a  view  of  Watson's  Falls, 
This  is  a  charming  object.  A  letter  to  the  editor  of  the 
"Northern  Traveller"  describes  it  as  offering  a  "  striking 
resemblance  to  a  magnificent  chandelier  of  three  tiers,  60 
feet  high,  the  drops  of  water  sparkling  like  diamonds  in 
motion,  and  prismatic  colours,  like  those  of  the  rainbow, 
floating  over  the  whole." 

You  next  pass  a  cluster  of  iron  works,  called  Birming 
ham,  amidst  a  series  of  waterfalls ;  and  then,  crossing  the 
stream,  and  proceeding  some  distance  through  the  woods, 
alight  and  walk  to  the  Walled  Rocks.  These  are  preci* 
pices  of  stratified  rocks,  about  100  feet  high,  overhanging 
the  stream,  two  of  which  are  so  uniform,  and  separated  so 
precisely  by  deep  and  narrow  channels  cut  down  almost  to 
the  water's  level,  that  they  seem  ready  to  fall  every  in* 
stant.  When  viewed  directly  endwise,  they  appear  like 
tall  chimneys,  only  a  few  feet  in  width  ;  while,  at  the  same 
lime,  they  lean  very  perceptibly  beyond  their  narrow 
bases.  Between  them  is  a  staircase,  built  by  some  of  the 
lovers  of  nature  in  the  neighbouring  village  of  Keeseville, 
for  the  accommodation  of  visiters.  By  this  you  may  de 
scend  to  the  bottom  ;  and  there  the  scene  is  highly  impres 
sive  and  peculiar,  while  the  spectator  sees  with  dread, 
that  the  point  of  view  on  the  summit  is  on  a  thin  project- 
fng  shelf  of  rock. 

PLATTSBUKGH,  eight  miles.     This  is  a  town  of  consi- 


ROUTE   TO    CANADA,  109 

importance,  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Saranac, 
and  just  behind  the  high  and  steep  bank  of  the  lake,  OR 
which  is  a  line  efforts  erected  for  the  defence  of  the  place* 
The  town  commands  a  fine  view. 

The  St.  Lawrence  and  Champlain  railroad  route  has 
•been  surveyed  from  Plattsburgh  to  Ogdensburgh,  120  m. 
and  the  expense  estimated  at  about  one  and  a  half  mil 
lions,  crossing  Chateaugay  river  east  of  Malone.  Another 
route  has  been  surveyed  up  the  north  bank  of  Au  Sable 
river  across  the  highlands  and  down  Racket  river.  The 
summit  of  the  former  near  the  Chate;mgay  is  1733  feet 
above  tide  ;  and  that  of  the  latter,  on  the  highlands,  only 
1277.  The  lake  here  is  87,  and  at  Whitehall  93. 

Plattsburgh  was  the  scene  of  a  land  and  naval  battle 
•during  tho  late  war  with  Great  Britain. 

The  Battle  of  Plaltsburgh.  When  Gen.  Macomb  was 
stationed  at  Plattsburgh,  Sir  George  Prevost  came  from 
'Canada  with  an  army,  and  occupying  the  village,  stood 
ready  to  attack  the  American  troops,  who  were  in  posi 
tion  on  the  elevated  ground,  between  the  east  bank  of  the 
fiver  Saranac  and  the  precipitous  shore  of  the  lake,  where 
a  number  of  forts,  &c.  are  still  to  be  seen.  Com.  McDo- 
nough  was  at  that  time  on  the  lake  with  the  American 
squadron;  and  hearing  of  the  approach  of  Capt.  Downie 
with  the  British  shipa,  extended  his  line  between  Hospi 
tal  Island  and  Cumberland  Head,  where  he  received  and 
fought  the  enemy  with  such  success  as  to  capture  all  his 
vessels.  The  action  continued  two  hours  and  twenty 
minutes,  and  was  performed  in  full  sight  of  the  armies. 
Capt.  Downie's  ship,  the  Confiance,  had  105  shot  in  her 
hull,  and  the  Saratoga  59,  and  was  twice  on  fire.  This 
battle  caused  the  retreat  of  Prevost,  and  relieved  that 
part  of  the  country  from  being  overrun. 

McDonough's  Farm  lies  on  that  part  of  Cumberland 
Head  which  is  opposite  the  scene  of  his  battle,  and  con 
sists  of  200  acres.  It  was  presented  to  him  by  the  Legis 
lature  of  Vermont,  in  gratitude  for  his  victory. 

CHAZY,  15^  miles, — ROUSE'S  POINT,  12  miles.  The 
country  hereabouts  is  very  uninteresting:  for  the  level 
country  has  begun  which  extends  far  into  Canada.  Tho 
appearance  of  the  banks  is  quite  uniform ;  they  being  low, 


110  S 

and  in  many  places  almost  overflown  by  the  waters  of  the 
lake. 

There  is  a  long  wall  and  battery  on  the  south  side,  with 
angles.  The  channel  is  on  the  east  side,  and  very  nar 
row,  faced  for  a  considerable  distance  by  another  battery. 
Sentries  are  posted  in  different  places.  The  ship  yard 
succeeds,  and  the  officers'  quarters,  generally  neat,  one- 
story  buildings,  with  little  gardens  tastefclly  laid  out. 

The  expedition  against  Canada  in  1775,  consisted  of 
two  divisions;  one  of  3000  New-Ei.gland  and  New-York 
soldiers,  under  Generals  Schuyler  and  Montgomery,  pro 
ceeded  down  Lake  Champlain  in  rafts,  from  Ticonderoga 
and  Crown  Point,  and  took  position  at  I&le  aux  Noix. 
The  other,  which  was  planned  and  despatched  subse 
quently,  consisted  of  a  large  body,  under  General  Arnold, 
and  proceeded  through  the  wilderness,  in  the  district  of 
Maine,  for  Quebec.  The  former  division,  after  a  little 
delay,  proceeded  to  St.  John's.  They  afterwards  formed 
at  this  place  a  chevaux  de  frieze  in  the  river. 

Beyond,  the  shores  continue  low  and  uninteresting, 
with  numerous  cabins  of  settlors  near  the  water,  the 
forest  encroaching  to  within  a  short  distance  behind. 

ST.  JOHN'S,  (Lower  Canada,)  10  miles. 

Here  the  steamboat  stops,  at  the  head  of  the  rapids, 
and  at  the  end  of  navigation.  A  railroad  leads  to  IV! on- 
treal :  (16  miles  by  land,  and  9  by  water  on  the  St.  Law 
rence,  in  a  steamboat.) 

The  village  presents  nothing  worthy  of  particular  atten 
tion,  except  as  the  scene  of  some  military  deeds,  con 
nected  with  the  expedition  of  Gen.  Montgomery  against 
this  country.  While  the  continental  troops  were  sta 
tioned  at  Idle  aux  Noix  in  1775,  Generals  Montgomery 
and  Schuyler  invested  the  fort,  which  contained  a  garri 
son  of  5  or  600  troops,  beside  200  Canadians,  and  was 
commanded  by  Major  Preston.  The  siege  lasted  6  weeks, 
and  they  did  not  capitulate  till  some  time  after  the  sur 
render  of  Chamblv,  nor  till  the  Americans  had  brought 
their  trenches  to  the  walla  of  the  fort.  They  then  ob- 


ROUTE    TO   CANADA.  Ill 

ttined  possession  of  17  brass  pieces,  22  iron,  7  mortars, 
with  halls,  bombs,  &c.  &c. 

The  Canadian  inioney  is  different  from  that  of  the 
United  States;  but  in  consequence  of  the  continual  in 
tercourse,  the  latter  passes  currently.  Nine  sous  or  cop 
pers,  (which  are  of  various  and  sometimes  curious 
stamps,)  equal  six  cents.  Two  sous  nearly  Id.  and  20 
cents  a  shilling. 

A  pleasant  road  from  St.  John's  to  Montreal,  is  by 
Chambly  and  Longueil,  (for  which,  see  Index.) 

The  River  Richelieu  sometimes  takes  the  names  of 
St.  John's  and  Sorel,  in  consequence  of  its  running  by 
those  towns.  Several  mountains  are  in  sight,  as  Beloeil, 
Boucherville,  &c. 

The  Rapids  may  be  regarded  as  a  specimen,  on  a  small 
scale,  of  the  numerous  rapids  in  the  St.  Lawrence,  which 
will  hereafter  excite  the  interest,  if  not  the  apprehension 
of  the  stranger.  The  bed  of  the  Richelieu  has  a  rapid 
descent  in  several  places,  where  it  comes  immediately 
under  observation,  and  becomes  so  shallow  as  to  be  pus- 
sable  for  the  flattest  boats  only  during  the  floods.  In  the 
summer  it  is  generally  only  a  few  inches  deep,  and  the 
surface  broken  by  numerous  stones  of  all  sizes,  and  here 
and  there  by  little  waterfalls  near  the  shore.  At  the 
same  time  the  banks  are  low  and  fiat ;  the  houses  of  one 
floor,  whitewashed,  and  built  at  nearly  equal  distances, 
facing  the  river;  and,  in  short,  the  general  character 
of  a  scene  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  may  be  imagined  from 
a  view  here,  by  making  allowance  for  superior  size  and 
fertility. 

It  has  been  proposed  to  make  a  canal  to  the  St.  Law 
rence  ;  but  it  is  said  that  the  channel  of  the  bt.  John's 
might  be  improved  by  stone  walls  to  confine  the  water 
over  these  rapids.  The  Chambly  rapids  might  be  passed 
by  a  short  canal;  and  the  only  remaining  obstructions 
except  those  at  the  mouth  are  at  St.  Theresa  and  Mille 
Roches. 

The  inhabitants,  out  of  the  towns,  have  the  aspect  of 
foreigners,  in  dress,  countenance,  manners,  customs,  and 
language.  Their  fashions  are  antique,  and  many  of  them, 
have  not  been  changed  for  ages  :  the  men  wear  the  Ga- 


112  RA.1LROAD    TO    LAPRAIRIE. 

radian  jacket,  cap,  or  hat,  red  sash,  and  moccasin  of 
rough  leather  The  women  work  in  the  field,  and  all  of 
them  speak  French,  generally  without  knowing  a  word  of 
any  other  language.  The  farms  will  he  observed,  laid 
out  in  strips  of  1  or  200  acres,  flat,  broad,  and  1,  2,  or 
even  3  miles  in  length ;  and  the  system  of  farming  is  ex 
tremely  had,  as  will  be  discovered  at  once,  by  the  acres 
that  are  consigned  to  the  useless  and  destructive  little 
Canada  thistle.  There  is  no  such  thing  known  here  as 
the  doctrine  of  a  rotation  of  crops,  and  land  is  recovered 
to  fertility  by  lying  fa\low,  except  that  lately  the  use  of 
manure  has  begun  to  be  resorted  to  in  a  small  degree. 
The  horses  are  of  a  small  bieed,  well  known  in  the  north 
ern  states,  by  the  name  of  the  country.  They  are  small 
and  slow,  but  powerful  and  hardy.  Many  of  them  are 
driven  across  the  line,  and  large  horses  introduced  into 
the  towns  in  return.  The  value  of  a  common  Canadian 
horse  is  about  $40  ;  and  of  a  good  one,  $60. 

There  is  very  little  to  be  seen  on  this  road  to  interest 
the  traveller.  The  landscape  is  unvarying;  the  inhabit 
ants  as  well  as  the  soil  are  poor,  and  there  is  nothing  that 
deserves  even  the  name  of  a  village.  We  pass  a  house 
now  and  then,  dignified  by  a  tall  pole  or  mast  raised  in 
front  of  it,  which  is  a  singular  mark  of  distinct  on  con 
ceded  to  officers  of  militia,  and  usually  adopted  by  those 
of  the  lowest  grades. 

The  people  have  healthy  countenances,  inclining  to 
round  faces  and  thick  lips.  Many  of  them  show  the  up 
per  front  teeth  when  silent ;  and  their  aspect  denotes  a 
want  of  education,  which  is  the  real  cause  of  the  back 
ward  condition  of  society  in  Canada.  They  are  all  Pa 
pists  ;  and  the  churches  seen  here  and  there  upon  the 
road,  are  devoted  to  the  service  of  the  Romish  church. 

One  of  the  most  singular  traits  in  tho  domestic  ar 
rangements  of  the  Canadians,  is  building  the  oven  not 
only  out  of  doors,  like  the  Dutch,  but  directly  over  the 
pig  sty. 

The  mountain  from  which  the  city  of  Montreal  derived 
its  name,  and  which  rises  immediately  behind  it,  may  be 
discovered  at  a  great  distance;  and  the  house  of  Mr. 


fcOUTE4TO    CAKJLDA,  113 

McTavish  may  be  perceived,  like  a  white  spot,  a  little 
distance  up  its  side. 

Some  time  before  reaching  the  river,  you  pass  au  ex 
tensive  common,  lying  on  the  south  side  of  the  road,  and 
then  the  town  of 

LAPRAIRIE.  This  is  a  large  town,  from  which  steam 
boats  cross  to  Montreal,  9  miles.  The  place  is  built  after 
the  Canadian  fashion  ;  and  very  few  of  the  inhabitants 
speak  English.  The  streets  are  narrow,  the  houses  low, 
and  nothing  is  to  be  seen  worthy  of  particular  notice,  ex 
cepting  a  nunnery  and  the  church,  both  which  may  seem 
curious  to  persons  who  are  not  familiar  with  Popish  coun 
tries  ;  though  of  inferior  interest  to  those  of  Montreal 
and  Quebec.  The  nuns  possess  a  large  tract  of  land, 
nearly  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  which  is  surrounded  by 
a  high  wall :  and  they  devote  some  of  their  time  to  the 
care  of  the  sick,  and  the  education  of  girls. 

The  view  of  Montreal  from  the  wharf  is  uninterrupted. 
The  city  is  distinguished  at  the  distance  of  9  miles,  by 
its  thick  mass  of  buildings,  roofed  with  sheets  of  tin, 
and  overtopped  by  church  spires,  shining  with  the  same 
metal.  Behind  it  rises  a  ftne  mountain,  spotted  with  or 
chards;  on  the  right,  down  the  St.  Lawrence,  is  the  for 
tified  island  of  St.  Helen;  and  on  the  left,  Nuns'  Island, 
and  several  smaller  ones  at  a  distance,  through  which  are 
seen  the  sheets  of  white  foam  caused  by  the  rapids  The 
shores  are  low  and  perfectly  flat  in  every  direction  ; 
which,  with  the  wide  expanse  of  water,  gives  an  aspect 
of  tiresome  monotony  and  extension  to  the  scene.  Uni 
formity  will  be  found  characteristic  of  almost  the  whole 
voyage  to  Quebec. 

The  current  of  the  river  is  extremely  rapid,  particular 
ly  near  those  parts  where  the  surface  is  broken  by  rocks  j 
but  the  steamboats  are  supplied  with  engine?  compara 
tively  powerful,  and  are  able  to  effect  the  passage  with 
facility  and  in  safety.  An  hour  is  generally  spent  in  go 
ing,  and  from  1£  to  3  in  returning.  It  is  impossible,  how 
ever,  for  any  boat  to  go  through  the  current  without  being" 
borne  rapidly  down  .in  some  places  ;  and  there  is  a  part 
of  the  river  near  the  middle,  where  the  water  is  clear,  and 
the  rocks  are  easily  seen  on  the  bottom,  a*  the  boat 8  glide 


114  8T.   JOH1TS. 

on  above  them.  In  returning,  the  boats  sometimes  pass 
between  two  rocks,  near  the  rapids,  that  on  the  east  be 
ing  under  water.  Here  the  river  is  much  agitated,  and 
sometimes  throws  the  water  on  deck,  but  without  any 
danger. 

A  large  tinned  roof  on  the  left,  with  a  small  steeple, 
belongs  to  the  convent  of  Gray  Nuns  ;  further  back  is 
the  Recollet  Church ;  then  the  French  Parish  Church, 
near  which  is  seen  the  Great  Cathedra'..  The  English 
Episcopal  church  has  a  tall  pyramidal  spire  ;  and  that 
which  rises  farther  to  the  right,  and  near  the  shore,  is  the 
church  of  13on-secouis  From  some  places  may  be  seen 
the  top  of  Nelson's  monument,  with  several  other  remark 
able  objects,  particularly  the  barrack*,  on  the  right,  behind 
the  remnant  of  the  old  city  wall. 

MONTREAL. 

The  landing  place  is  unpleasant,  and  the  stranger  may 
be  struck  with  the  narrowness  of  the  streets,  the  lowness, 
and  heavy  aspect  of  the  houses,  which  are  of  stone  or  plas 
tered  to  resemble  it:  but  all  this  is  in  conformity  with  the 
fashion  of  the  country  ;  and  Montreal  contains  some  fine 
buildings,  and  other  objects  worthy  of  notice,  together 
with  a  vicinity  which  in  the  warm  season  of  the  year  is 
truly  agreeable. 

Those  who  remain  but  a  short  time  in  this  city,  may 
easily  pay  a  hasty  visit  to  the  principal  objects  of  cu 
riosity  ;  and  are  recommended  to  take  a  walk  through  the 
two  principal  streets,  and  to  notice  the  following  build 
ings  and  places. 

At  the  north  end  of  St.  Faul's-street  are  the  barracks* 
Just  above  the  Masonic  Hall,  is  the  French  Church  of 
Bon-secours,  which,  like  the  other  Canadian  religious 
buildings  generally,  is  formed  much  on  the  plan  of  those 
in  France.  The  roofs  are,  however,  generally  covered 
with  tin.  This  is  near  the  northern  limit  of  Montreal,, 
beyond  which  begins  the  Quebec  suburb. 

Masonic  Hall,  on  the  the  eastern  side  of  the  street. 

Theatre,  adjoining  the  Masonic  Hall. 

Market  Place  and  Nelson's  Monument.  Then  fol 
lows  a  double  row  of  shops.  On  the  east  »ide  are  seve- 


MONTREAL.  115 

rat,  which  show  articles  of  Indian  manufacture  for  sale. 
These,  however,  had  better  be  bought  at  the  nunne 
ries,  if  it  is  intended  to  visit  them. 

The  Hotel  Dieu,  or  Convent  of  Black  Nuns,  is  a 
long  stone  building,  on  the  west  side  of  St.  Paul's-street 
from  John  Baptist  to  St.  Joseph's-street.  It  has  three 
wings :  one  on  St.  Joseph's-street  being  the  hospital. 
One  of  the  doors  on  St.  Paul's-street  leads  into  the  public 
chapel,  and  another  into  the  nunnery,  that  is,  the  few 
apartments  which  are  accessible  to  visiters.  The  nuns 
make  a  vow  on  taking  the  veil,  never  to  leave  the  walls. 
There  is  a  large  garden  in  the  rear.  This  convent, 
and  that  of  the  congregational  nuns  occupy  the  whole 
square  extending  to  Notre  Dame-street. 

This  building,  and  others  like  it  in  Canada,  are  un 
worthy  of  a  traveller's  attention,  except  as  specimens  of 
institutions  which  have  exerted  a  powerful  and  unfriendly 
influence  on  all  nations  who  have  tolerated  them.  Found 
ed  by  the  superstition  which  they  perpetuate,  framed 
on  a  model  borrowed  from  the  heathenism  of  Egypt, 
supported  by  fanaticism,  tolerated  by  ignorance,  govern 
ed  by  a  power  as  distant  as  Rome,  and  used  by  it  to 
foster  ignorance,  and  to  sustain  its  authority,  convents 
have  been,  and  probably  always  will  be,  engines  for  de 
grading  the  mind,  corrupting  the  manners,  and  enslav 
ing  the  people. 

The  New  Cathedral  is  probably  the  largest  church 
in  North  America,  except  Mexico.  This  edifice  is  on  the 
Place  d'Armes.  It  was  commenced  in  1825,  and  is 
partly  copied  from  some  of  the  European  models  of  the 
13th,  14th  and  15th  centuries.  It  is  of  the  plainest 
style  that  can  bear  the  name  of  Gothic :  an  exuberance 
of  ornament  being  inconsistent  with  a  climate  so  severe 
as  that  of  Canada. 

It  is  255  feet  long  from  west  to  east,  and  134  feet 
wide.  It  was  designed  to  have  six  quadrangular  tow 
ers,  each  200  feet  high:  three  on  each  flank,  and  two 
at  each  end.  The  curtain,  or  space  between  the  front 
towers,  is  73  feet  by  119,  and  has  parapets.  There  are 
five  public  entrances  and  three  private  to  the  first  floor, 
and  four  to  the  galleries.  The  building  can  contain 
10,000  persons,  which  number  may  assemble  and  dis- 
11 


116  THE    COLLEGE. 

perse  in  a  few  minutes.  The  eastern  window  over  the* 
high  altar  is  32  by  64  feet,  and  is  to  be  divided  by 
shafts  and  mnllions  for  stained  glass.  The  ceiling  is  SO1 
feet  high,  groined  and  partly  supported  by  a  double 
range  of  grouped  columns,  intersected  by  rails. 

There  are  seven  altars  for  the  nuns.  The  floor  rises 
gradually  from  the  entrance  to  the  high  altar.  The 
house  is  to  be  warmed  by  heated  air  from  stoves  under 
the  floor.  The  exterior  is  faced  with  hewn  stone  from 
the  mountain. 

Gray  Nuns'  Convent,  a  large  atone  building,  about 
410  feet  in  length,  is  in  the  south  eastern  part  of  the  city. 
These  nuns  have  a  large  number  of  orphans  under  their 
charge,  and  are  not  forbidden  to  go  out,  ?o  that  they  may 
be  seen  in  the  streets  dressed  in  gray  hooded  cloaks. 

The  Seminary  (La  Seminaire)  is  an  antique  build 
ing,  and  contains  a  library  of  about  6,000  volumes. 

The  College  is  a  large  building  of  stone,  three  sto 
ries  high,  erected  in  1819  out  of  the  funds  of  the  Semi 
nary.  It  has  a  front  of  about  150  feet,  with  wings 
projecting  in  front  and  rear,  which  make  the  whole 
length  about  220  feet.  It  has  a  spacious  yard  on  the 
south  side,  for  a  play  ground,  succeeded  by  a  fine  gar 
den.  In  order  to  guard  against  fire,  large  iron  doors 
are  hung  in  the  passages,  in  such  a  manner  that  by 
shutting  them  the  whole  building  may  be  divided  into 
three  parts,  each  fire  proof. 

It  contains  about  300  students,  who  are  divided  into 
eight  classes,  to  each  of  which  is  devoted  a  year,  with 
the  exception  of  the  two  last,  which  occupy  but  six 
months  apiece,  so  that  the  whole  course  of  instruction 
is  finished  in  seven  years.  Many  of  the  pupils,  however, 
leave  the  institution  before  completing  the  course. 

The  Chapel  is  in  the  south  wing ;  and  the  rest  of  the- 
building  is  divided  into  recitation  rooms,  and  bed  rooms, 
the  former  of  which  are  hung  with  maps  and  pictures  of 
saints,  and  the  latter  supplied  with  crosses  and  fonts. 
The  price  of  instruction  is  about  eighty  dollars  per 
year,  and  some  of  the  pupils  have  allowances  made  them  j- 
particularly  those  designed  for  the  church,  who  assist  in> 
instruction  by  day,  and  study  by  night.  There  is  a  prepar-' 


MONTREAL.  117 

•atory  school  connected  with  the  college.     One  of  the  in- 
•structers  always  oversees  the  boys  in  their  recreations. 

Returning  to  the  square,  and  entering  another  princi 
pal  street  running  parallel  to  St.  Paul's,  you  pass  nume 
rous  respectable  and  some  elegant  dwellings,  leaving 
the  Parish  Church  and  the  new  Cathedral  on  the  east. 

The  Wesleyan  Chapel,  the  American  Congregational, 
and  the  English  Episcopal  Churches  are  in  this  part 
of  the  town. 

The  Parade,  a  handsome  piece  of  ground,  with  a 
walk,  where  the  troops  are  drilled  every  morning,  gene 
rally  at  10  o'clock. 

Island  of  St.  Helen,  or  Grant's  Island.  This  is 
held  by  the  British  government,  for  a  military  position 
and  depot.  It  is  principally  covered  with  trees ;  but  has 
a  beautiful  garden  behind  the  quarters  of  the  officers  ;  and 
a  fine  road  winding  round  from  the  landing  place,  on  the 
south  end,  (where  are  some  remains  of  old  works,  and  a 
new  battery,)  to  a  rocky  eminence  over  the  arsenal,  which 
is  opposite  the  northern  quarter  of  the  town.  This  rock 
is  about  eleven  feet  higher  than  the  most  elevated  part* 
of  the  city;  and  the  view  from  it  is  handsome,  with  a  wild 
ravine  just  below. 

The  arsenal  and  storehouses  form  three  buildings,  with 
a  narrow  yard  between  them,  about  125  feet  in  length. 
The  batteries  range  on  the  river  and  town,  and  are  fur 
nished  with  neat  barracks,  a  magazine,  &c. 

The  Mountain  of  Montreal  offers  an  extensive  and 
•delightful  view,  and  should  by  no  means  be  forgotten  by 
those  who  have  an  opportunity  to  undertake  the  excur 
sion.  It  is  better  calculated  to  afford  an  idea  of  the  country, 
as  well  as  to  delight  the  eye,  than  any  other  point  to  which 
an  excursion  can  be  made.  Yet  it  is  recommended,  if  the 
traveller  stays  long  enough,  to  take  a  ride  or  two  in  differ 
ent  directions,  after  having  visited  this  favourite  spot. 

There  are  different  ways  of  reaching  the  summit  of  the 
mountain  :  on  foot,  by  an  intricate  route  from  the  southern 
part  of  the  city ;  on  horseback,  or  in  a  carriage,  to  the 
ridge  ;  or  round  the  north  end  to  the  rear.  There  is  also 
&  foot  path  up  the  north  end. 

The  country  spread  out  to  view  on  arriving  at  this  com- 
inanding  height,  is  a  plain  of  such  vast  extent  as  to  ap 


118  MONTREAL    MOUNTAIN. 

pear  in  many  directions  quite  boundless.  In  fact,  itBtrotch- 
es  much  farther  than  would  be  imagined ;  for  all  the  way 
to  Quebec,  the  river's  banks  present  the  same  appearance. 

The  spectator  faces  the  east.  The  side  of  the  moun 
tain,  almost  precipitous,  is  thickly  covered  with  trees, 
which  soon  give  place  below  to  a  smooth  descent,  declining 
to  the  base,  chiefly  devoted  to  pasturage,  on  the  eleva 
tion  of  which  stands  M'Tavish's  house.  A  beautiful 
display  of  cultivated  fields  succeeds  on  the  level,  divided 
by  high  palings,  and  scattered  with  a  few  houses.  Below 
a  moderate  descent,  which  appears  like  an  old  bank  of  the 
river,  gardens  and  dwellings  begin  to  increase ;  and 
behind  a  succeeding  one,  of  a  similar  description  are 
suburbs  of  the  city. 

East,  on  the  horizon  is  Boucherville  Mountain ;  and 
ov^r  it  is  seen  more  indistinctly,  Beloeil  Mountain.  The 
plain  country  between  the  Sorel  and  St.  Lawrence  is 
divided  into  innumerable  fields,  with  scattering  houses. 
In  the  same  direction  is  seen  St.  Helen's,  or  Grant's 
Island ;  and  in  a  direction  with  the  south  end  of  it,  the 
steeple  of  Bon-secour  church.  North  of  this  are  the  Que 
bec  suburbs,  beginning  near  the  barracks  ;  the  Waterworks, 
and  Baths.  Nearer,  are  seen  St.  Louis  and  St.  Lawrence 
suburbs. 

S.  S.  East,  on  the  opposite  shore,  La  Prairie;  and 
nearly  over  it,  the  site  of  St.  John's,  which  is  not  distin 
guishable.  In  a  range  with  them,  are  Nuns'  Island,  and 
Nuns'  Farm,  the  latter  on  this  shore.  The  river  is  3J 
miles  wide.  The  suburbs  on  the  south  side  of  the  city, 
are  St.  Antoine,  Ricolet.  St.  Anne's,  and  St.  Joseph's. 

North.  Bout  de  1'Isle,  the  extremity  of  Montreal 
Island,  Pointe  aux  Trembles,  and  the  village  of  Boucher- 
ville  ;  opposite  which  is  Longueil,  and  further  down,  Va- 
rennes,  with  a  two  steepled  church. 

N*  East,  the  view  is  boundless,  with  a  succession  of 
cultivated  fields,  which  in  the  distance  become  quite  un- 
distinguishable.  The  same  appearance,  it  will  hereafter 
be  seen,  extends  alone:  the  river's  banka  quite  to  Quebec. 

Road  round  the  Mountain.  The  road  near  the  north 
end  of  the  mountain  is  ornamented  with  many  beautiful 
•eats,  and^there  are  al*o  some  extensive  manufactories. 
Behind  it  is^a  fine  extent  of  cultivated  ground. 


IN    CANAbA.  119 

OtttER  EXCURSIONS.  To  Lachine,  9  miles,  or  3  leagues* 
The  river  road  is  the  pleasantest ;  giving  a  view  of  the 
Rapids,  Nuns'  and  Heron  Islands,  the  Indian  village  of 
'Caughnawaga  opposite,  and  crossing  the  Lachine  Canal. 

To  Pointe  aux   Trembles  and  Bout  de  VIsle. 

The  southern  road  to  the  Mountain,  which  crosses  it  at 
the  less  elevated  part  of  the  ridge,  near  the  middle,  leads 
through  St.  Joseph's  suburbs,  and  afterward  passes  a 
number  of  fine  country  seats.  The  most  remarkable  are 
those  of  Mr.  M'Gillivray,  and  the  late  Mr.  Gregory, 
members  of  the  old  North  West  Company,  which  was 
converted  into  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company.  It  engrossed 
the  Indian  trade  for  a  vast  distance  up  the  lakes,  and  en 
riched  many  individuals. 

The  Priests'  Farm  lies  west  of  the  city  near  the  base  of 
the  mountain ;  and  is  a  large  tract  of  land,  with  an  old 
building  in  the  ancient  European  style,  preserving  many  of 
the  features  of  feudal  days,  with  its  projecting  square 
towers,  small  windows,  pointed  roofs,  and  weather-beaten 
walls.  The  barns  connected  with  it  are  very  spacious, 
and  seem  capable  of  containing  a  large  part  of  the  pro 
ducts  of  the  farm.  The  only  wonder  seems  to  be  what  a 
few  old  men  can  do  with  such  vast  stores,  as  well  as 
with  their  receipts  from  various  other  quarters. 

The  whole  island  of  Montreal  is  a  Seigneurie,  in  which 
the  monks  of  Ricolet,  as  Seigneurs,  have  the  right  of  a 
tax  on  every  farm,  on  every  purchase  and  sale  of  real 
estate,  and  many  other  privileges,  vested  in  them  by  the 
king  of  France  on  the  first  settlement  of  the  place.  Cir 
cumstances  have  conspired  to  reduce  and  destroy  many  of 
these  privileges,  so  that  the  annual  income  of  the  priests, 
from  this  rich  and  valuable  Seigneurie,  though  large,  is 
very  trivial,  in  comparison  with  its  extent  and  fertility. 

Col.  Allen,  with  his  detachment  for  the  surprise  of 
Montreal,  in  1776,  crossed  the  river  from  Longueil;  but 
Major  Brown,  not  being  able  to  land  above  the  city  as  was 
intended,  the  former  was  taken  prisoner  by  Gov.  Carlton, 
after  a  sharp  engagement,  loaded  with  irons,  and  sent  to 
England.  Col.  Warner  afterwards  erected  batteries  on 
the  shore  at  Longueil,  by  which  he  drove  back  the  go 
vernor  when  he  attempted  to  land  on  his  way  to  relieve 
St.  John's. 

11* 


.'       V 

/120  RIVER  3T.   LAWR2KCE. 

ROUTE  FROM  MONTREAL  TO  QUEBEC. 

^ 

$fa  ROAD  TO  QUEBEC. 

Notwithstanding  the  common  prejudices  against  tra 
velling  by  land  in  Canada,  which  are  entertained  by 
many  persons  not  acquainted  with  the  country,  it  is  re 
commended  to  those  who  may  find  it  convenient,  to  make 
arrangements  for  performing  a  part  of  the  journey  in  this 
manner,  either  going  or  returning. 

The  country  is  indeed  a  dead  level,  but  it  is  entirely  re 
duced  to  cultivation,  thickly  populated,  and  with  good 
roads.  The  way  lies  along  the  very  margin  of  the  St. 
Lawrence,  passing  an  almost  uninterrupted  succession  of 
dwellings,  and  supplied  with  many  comfortable  and  some 
good  inns. 

STKAIUBOAT  TO  QUKBEC. 

Leaving  Montreal  in  the  steamboat,  you  pass  under  the 
fort  on  St.  Helen's  Island,  the  steeples  and  cupolas  of  the 
city  being  seen  nearly  in  the  following  order  beginning  at 
the  south  end  j  Gray  Nuns',  Ricolet  Church,  Black  Nuns', 
then  the  Old  Cathedral,  Episcopal  Church,  Nelson's  Mon 
ument,  Bon-secour  Church.  Near  the  last,  on  the  shore, 
are  the  Barracks,  Water  works,  and  Baths,  the  begin 
ning  of  the  Quebec  suburbs,  the  residences  of  Judge  Reed 
and  Mr.  Malson,  with  terraced  gardens  towards  the  river, 
&c.  A  little  below  is  Malson's  Brewery,  and  Sir  John 
Johnson's  residence. 

The  RAPIDS  or  ST.  MARY  are  between  the  island  and 
these  last  mentioned  objects,  and  run  with  such  rapidity 
that  steamboats  are  sometimes  obliged  to  be  drawn  trp  by 
cattle. 

Loitgueil,  just  below  St.  Helen's. 

Longue  Pointe,  6  miles  (2  leagues)  from  Montreal. 

Vercherea,  on  the  east  side. 

Varennes  has  a  church  with  a  double  s-pire. 

Point  aux  Trembles,  9  miles,  (3  leagues.)  Here  i»  a 
nunnery,  in  which  is  a  school  for  girls. 

Bout  de  VIsle.  Here  is  no  village,  kvvt  trnly  » 
ferry. 

Contrecaur,  on  the  east. 

RtpentignyT  a  pretty  village, 


TO  QtJEBEC.  121 

At  this  place  it  is  recommended  to  the  traveller  by  land, 
to  make  a  deviation  from  the  direct  road  along  the  river,  if 
he  finds  it  convenient,  to  see  the  delightful  country  between 
it  and  the  town  of  Assomption.  There  is  a  beautiful  roatl 
on  each  bank,  varied  with  houses  and  trees.  Return  so  as 
to  strike  the  road  near  St.  Sulpice* 

St.  Sulpice,  24  miles  (8  leagues)  from  Montreal. 

La  Moraye. 

Berthier. 

Machiche  is  a  pretty  to'wn,  at  the  mouth  of  the  liiviere? 
du  Loup. 

Many  French  customs  are  still  preserved  by  the  unmixed 
inhabitants  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  some  of  which  are  agreea-' 
ble  and  interesting. 

There  is  very  little  variety  to  be  discovered  in  the  na-» 
tural  surface  of  the  ground,  but  the  journey  through  thisr 
region  presents  almost  an  unvarying  scene  of  cultivation 
and  fertility ,;  For  a  great  part  of  the  distance,  there  is  m 
narrow  strip  of  corn  or  potatoes  between  the  road  and  the 
river's  bank,  to  correspond  with  the  fields  which  stretch  off 
to  such  a  distance  on  the  other  band ;  and  the  Variety  of 
crops,  and  the  occasional  rows  and  clumps  of  trees,  re" 
move,  in  a  good  degree,  the  natural  sameness  of  the  land-' 
scape. 

>  NAVIGATION  AND  TRACE  OF  ISE  ST.  LAWRENCE,  &c/ 

Steamboats  are  of  the  utmost  importance  on  this  greaJ 
river,  for  they  contribute  extremely  to  the  convenience  and 
expedition  of  travelling,  and  render  most  valuable  assist-* 
ance  to  commerce.  There  are  many  steamboats  constantly 
employed  between  Montreal  and  Quebec,  most  of  thent 
fitted  to  accommodate  passengers,  as  v/ell  as  to  carry 
freight,  and  all  provided  with  powerful  engines.  The1 
principal  article  of  export  frum  Canada  is  lumber,  a  greaS 
deal  of  which  is  carried  to  Quebec  in  immense  rafts,  and 
then  shipped  for  England.  These  rafts  have  usually  ai 
great  number  of  sails  to  hoist  in  a  fair  windf  with  huts  to^ 
shelter  the  men  from  the  weather,  so  that  they  have  a  very 
singular  appearance,  and  at  a  little  distance  look  like  a 
fleet  of  sail  boats.  The  population  of  Lower  Canada  i* 
estimated  at  about  200,000. 

The  French  Canadians  are   amiable,  cheerful >  and  gayr 


&nd  their  backwardness  in  improvements  is  attributable  t£ 
the  system  under  which  they  live.  They  are  generally 
brought  up  in  great  ignorance,  and  they  are  taught  to  dis-» 
Hke  and  avoid  not  only  the  Protestant  principles,  but  Pro* 
testants  themselves.  In  New-England,  as  is  well  known^ 
the  law  provides  for  the  instruction  of  every  child,  without 
exception  :  and  every  child  is  actually  instructed.  Books 
&nd  newspapers,  however,  lose  their  effect  as  well  as  their 
value  among  these  people.  Among  those  regions  where 
English  and  Scotch  haVe  settled,  instruction  is  gaining 
ground;  and  in  Montreal,  the  public  schools  are  rising  in 
importance  :  but  it  is  to  be  feared  that  the  Romish  priests 
•will  long  continue  to  oppose  the  extension  of  real  know 
ledge,  and  that  while  they  retain  their  influence,  the  cha* 
racter  of  the  people  will  remain  depressed. 

The  "  Procedure"  of  Canada  is  founded  on  the  edict 
of  Louis  14th,  of  1667,  and  is  the  basis  of  the  Civil 
Code.  There  were  no  lawyers  before  the  Conquest  in 
1759,  when  they  were  created  5  and  martial  law  pre 
vailed  from  that  time  till  1774.  The  trial  by  Jury  was 
introduced  in  1785  ;  and  the  Constitutional  Charter  in 
1791. 

The  houses  are  generally  of  one  story,  and  are  built  of 
wood  or  stone,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  country. 
Some  of  them  are  formed  of  squared  timbers,  and  even 
of  round  logs  ;  but  the  latter  are  usually  employed  for  the 
construction  of  barns  only,  which  are  often  covered  with 
thatch.  The  houses  and  barns  are  frequently  compos-* 
e'd  of  several  small  buildings,  erected  at  different  pe 
riods,  according  to  the  capacity  or  necessities  of  the  pro 
prietors. 

WILLIAM  HENRY,  OK  SOREL, 
45  miles)  or  15  leagues  from  Montreal 

"~"  This  town>  though  quite  small,  is  one  of  the  principal 
places  between  the  two  capitals.  It  is  on  the  south  side 
of  the  St.  Lawrence,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Sorel,  of 
Richelieu,  in  a  very  sandy  situation;  and  contains  no* 
thing  worthy  of  notice,  except  a  little  old  church,  a 
palisadoed  fort,  and  a  neat  square,  at  the  distance  of 


ROUTE   TO   QUEBEC.  123 

a  short  walk,  surrounded  with  several  pretty  white 
houses,  a  church,  &c.  a  little  in  the  New-England  style. 
The  fences  are  generally  low,  and  afford  the  sight  of 
gardens. 

The  Government  House  stands  about  three  quarters  of 
a  mile  beyond  the  town  It  is  a  large  red  building,  with 
barracks  near  it.  The  boat  turns  round  on  leaving  Sorel, 
and  returns  to  the  St.  Lawrence. 

On  the  opposite  point,  General  Montgomery  erected 
batteries  on  taking  the  place,  in  1775,  and  prepared  rafts 
and  floating  batteries,  which  maintained  an  engagement 
with  the  ships  in  which  Governor  Carleton  attempted 
to  escape  to  Quebec,  and  drove  him  back  towards  Mon 
treal.  He  afterwards  passed  them  in  an  open  boat  at 
night;  but  his  vessels  fell  into  the  hands  cf  the  Ame 
rican?. 

BERTHIER  is  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
but  out  of  sight,  being  behind  several  low  islands.  Some 
of  the  steamboats  stop  there  instead  of  at  Soiel.  There 
is  a  ferry  across. 

LAKE  ST.  PETER.  On  entering  this  large  tract  of  wa 
ter,  the  shores  at  the  opposite  end  appear  like  mere  lines 
upon  the  horizon,  and  a  vessel  at  the  opposite  end  ap 
pears  like  a  mere  speck,  the  length  of  the  lake  being  20 
miles. 

POINT  DU  LAC,  or  WOODLANDS,  is  seen  on  the  north 
ern  shore,  when  nearly  across  ;  but  it  is  situated  beyond 
the  lake.  A  ridge  of  high  land  continues  on  the  north, 
following  the  course  of  the  river. 

Opposite  Woodlands  is  NICOLET,  9  miles  from  Three 
Rivers.  The  place  is  large,  and  contains  an  English  and 
a  French  church,  together  with  a  nunnery,  and  a  college, 
founded  by  a  Romish  bishop  of  Quebec. 

THRBS  RIVERS,  (Trois  Rivieres,]  Half  Way.  This 
is  the  largest  town  between  Montreal  and  Quebec,  and  is 
96  miles  from  the  former,  and  84  from  the  latter.  The 
streets  are  generally  straight,  and  regularly  built,  though 
narrow  ;  and  the  houses,  although  neat,  are  generally  only 
one  or  two  stories  high,  with  windows  in  the  roofs,  and, 
being  principally  plasiered,  have  rather  a  dark  aspect,  like 
those  of  Montreal.  It  contains  shops  of  various  sorts, 
and  several  inns  of  a  decent  appearance. 


124  THE   RIVER   ST.    LAWRENCE. 

The  Nunnery  is  in  thn  east  part  of  the  town,  and  has 
extensive  grounds  connected  with  it. 

The  Parish  Church  is  in  the  south  part  of  tho  town. 
Two  large  buildings,  formerly  the  Court  House  and  Jail, 
with  the  Nunnery,  are  the  principal  objects. 

While  the  American  forces  were  on  the  retreat  from 
Quebec,  in  1775,  General  Sullivan  sent  General  Thomp 
son  down  from  Sorel  to  attack  this  place.  He  went  down 
the  right  bank  of  Lake  St.  Peter,  and  landed  9  miles  from 
the  town;  but  being  discovered  and  misled,  he  found 
Genera]  Frazer  drawn  up  in  order  of  battle,  while  Gen. 
Nesbit  was  sent  to  cut  off  his  retreat ;  and  the  battle, 
which  immediately  commenced,  was  short  and  disastrous 
to  the  assailants,  who  lost  their  commander,  and  many 
officers  and  soldiers,  as  prisoners,  although  they  had  few 
killed.  After  several  hours  we  approach 

LE  BIGNEUX,  a  village  on  the  south  side  of  the  river, 
known  by  its  double-spired  church.  It  stands  on  a  steep 
bank,  about  60  feet  high,  and  marks  the  commencement 
of  the  Richelieu  rapids. 

The  river  here  winds  between  broken  banks,  and  the 
number  of  cottages  is  so  great  as  to  make  the  scene  more 
animating.  A  few  blue,  but  not  lofty  mountains,  are  seen 
down  the  river. 

RAPIDS  OF  RICHELIEU.  The  river,  which  is  about  two 
miles  wide,  here  runs  with  great  velocity,  particularly  the 
first  three  miles ;  but  the  water  is  deep,  and  the  surface 
unbroken,  except  near  the  shores,  which  are  lined  with  in 
numerable  loose  round  stones  and  rocks,  extremely  dan 
gerous  to  vessels  when  they  get  among  them.  These 
rocks  seem  placed  with  much  regularity,  forming  two 
ranges.  Although  the  navigation  of  this  part  of  the  St. 
Lawrence  requites  great  skill  and  caution  in  other  vessels, 
steamboats  pass  with  security;  yet,  on  account  of  the 
force  of  the  current  at  ebb  tide,  even  they  are  obliged  to 
vary  their  hours  of  leaving  Quebec,  in  such  a  way  as  to 
have  the  flood  through  the  rapids.  Vessels  are  often  seen 
waiting  at  the  bottom  of  the  rapids  for  a  change  of  tide, 
or  for  a  steamboat  to  tow  them  up.  The  rapids  extend 
about  9  miles. 

ST.  ANTOIXE,  on  the  south  bank,  is  18 miles,  (6  leagues) 


ROUTE   IN    CANADA.  I<J5 

from  Quebec.  The  mountain  seen  towards  the  north- 
cast  is  that  of  Lorette,  and  the  bank  on  that  side  makes 
a  beautiful  slope  to  the  river,  agreeably  varied  by  culti 
vated  fields,  interrupted  by  occasional  patches  of  wood 
land  ;  on  the  side  of  the  ridge,  about  midway  from 
the  water  to  the  top,  passes  the  road.  The  south  shore, 
on  the  contrary,  continues  high  and  abrupt  and  nearly 
perpendicular,  with  innumerable  cottages  peeping  over  the 
brow. 

POINTK  AUX  TREMBLES,  a  village  on  the  north  shore. 
Ths  river  is  about  the  same  breadth  all  along  here,  viz. 
about  two  miles,  although  it  appears  much  narrower  ;  the 
depth  is  about  5  fathoms,  and  the  tide  rises  14  or  15  feet. 
Notwithstanding  the  thickness  of  the  population  on  the 
shores,  the  country  is  a  wilderness  only  about  four  miles 
back,  being  comprehended  in  what  is  called  the  King's 
Hunting  Ground,  which  extends  from  Three  Rivers,  40" 
or  50  miles  below  this  place. 

JACQUES  CARTIER,  30  miles  from  Quebec.  This  is  a 
village  on  the  north  side,  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river  of  the  same  name,  which  is  likewise  distinguished 
by  the  name  of  the  first  explorer  of  the  river  St.  Law 
rence.  Here  are  the  remains  of  the  first  church  in  Ca 
nada. 

CAROUGE  CREE!?,  on  the  north  side.  Here  a  pretty 
view  opens,  for  a  few  minutes,  into  the  interior,  on  the 
north  shore,  showing  the  Indian  village  of  Lorette,  at  the 
distance  of  three  or  four  miles,  with  an  extent  of  beau 
tiful  land,  and  a  range  of  fine  mountains  in  the  rear. 

Chaudiere  River  is  a  little  below,  with  a  rock  on 
the  lower  side,  at  its  mouth. 

Looking  down  the  St.  Lawrence,  part  of  Point  Levi 
is  seen,  covered  with  white  buildings  one  of  which  is 
the  church.  It  is  opposite  Quebec,  which  remains  for  a 
considerable  distance  invisible.  The  banks  rise  to  a 
greater  and  greater  height,  and  present  every  variety  of 
surface. 

Sillery  Cove  is  a  mile  below,  above  which  was  fought 
the  final  battle  between  the  English  and  French  in  1759, 
after  the  capture  of  Quebec  by  General  Wolfe,  which 
completed  the  conquest  of  Canada. 


126  QUEBEC. 

Wolfe't  Cove  is  behind  the  next  point.  This  is  the 
place  where  Wolfe  landed  in  the  night,  and  up  the  preci 
pitous  bank  he  climbed  with  his  troops,  afterwards  draw 
ing  up  his  cannon.  Here  Gen.  Arnold  afterwards  took 
lip  his  troops,  in  1775.  There  is  a  remarkable  rock  pro 
jecting  from  the  bank,  at  the  head  of  the  cove,  a  little 
to  the  right  of  which  is  seen  a  road  running  up  the 
hill,  at  the  place  where  the  troops  went  up,  when  there 
was  nothing  but  a  foot  path. 

Cape  Diamond  is  the  abrupt  bluff  in  which  terminates 
the  high  land  on  the  north,  and  under  the  opposite  side 
of  which  Quebec  is  situated.  It  is  348  feet  high  ;  and  the 
fortified  lines  on  its  brow  belong  to  the  city  walls,  and  the 
citadel,  which  is  included  by  them.  The  telegraph  is 
raised  on  the  Cavaliers'  Battery,  and  the  round  buildings 
on  the  ridge  are  Martello  towers,  which  serve  as  advanced 
works  to  the  fortress.  The  mountains  of  St.  Anne  and 
Tourmente  appear  many  miles  down  the  river. 

General  Montgomery  was  Killed  just  at  the  base  of 
Cape  Diamond,  in  attacking  a  block  house  on  the  shore, 
in  1775. 

QUEBEC.  The  Lower  Town  of  Quebec  begins  near 
this  spot,  and  stretches  along  at  the  foot  of  the  rock,  while 
the  Upper  Town  soon  begins  to  open  to  view  above,  though 
the  principal  part  of  it  is  on  the  top  and  the  opposite  side. 

The  Castle  of  St.  Louis,  or  the  Governor's  House, 
overhung  this  precipice,  being  built  on  supporters ;  and 
made  a  conspicuous  appearance,  interrupting  the  city 
wall,  which  encloses  the  Upper  Town.  It  has  been  burnt. 

But  the  current  is  too  swift  to  allow  much  time  for 
observation  before  arriving  at  the  wharf,  where  the  travel 
ler  will  find  servants  in  waiting  from  the  principal  public 
houses  in  the  city:  these  are  all  in  the  Upper  Town,  the 
uscent  to  which  is  intricate  as  well  as  steep  and  labori 
ous,  so  that  the  stranger  will  want  their  assistance  as 
guides. 

The  Lower  Town  is  crowded  and  dirty,  and  contains 
no  decent  public  houses.  After  three  or  four  turns,  you 
begin  to  ascend  Mountain-street,  which  is  very  steep  and 
laborious,  and  leads  to  a  gate  in  the  city  wall,  which  is 
Very  massive,  built  in  the  old  European  style,  of  solid 
:stone,  very  thick,  with  narrow  passage  ways  for  carriages 


QUEBEC.  127 

and  footmen,  and  a  guard  chamber  above,  with  loopholes 
for  musketeers.  On  the  right,  after  passing  this  gate,  is 
a  battery  of  heavy  guns.  The  street  which  opens  a  little 
to  the  left  leads  into  the  midst  of  the  city. 

A  walk  to  the  Esplanade,  in  the  highest  part  of  the 
city,  by  the  wall,  is  very  delightful  at  morning  or  even* 
ing,  as  it  commands  a  fine  view :  but  Cape  Diamond  the 
finest  of  all. 

It  is  recommended  to  the  stranger  to  seize  the  first 
pleasant  days  to  make  excursions  to  the  Falls  of  Mont" 
morency,  the  village  of  Lorette,  &c.  which  will  be  more 
particularly  spoken  of  hereafter;  and  it  will  be  found 
much  better,  on  several  accounts,  to  set  out  as  early  in 
the  morning  as  possible. 

The  walls  of  Quebec  enclose  the  upper  part  of  the  hill, 
and  a  little  of  its  declivity  on  the  north  side ;  but  the 
space  is  so  small  that  the  buildings  are  extremely  crowded. 

The  French  Parish  Church  stands  at  one  end  of  the 
public  square,  facing  the  barracks,  with  the  sem;nary  on 
one  side.  The  Church  contains  little  that  is  remarkable? 
the  whole  interior  appearing  rathef  ordinary,  and  the 
pictures  having  little  to  boast  of  1  the  principal  of  them 
are  a  Holy  Family,  an  Ascension,  Crucifixion,  Descent  of 
Tongues,  and  Last  Supper. 

The  College,  which  stands  a  little  to  the  right  in  com* 
ing  out  of  the  church,  is  a  large  stone  building  in  which  a 
considerable  number  of  youth  are  educated  by  priests. 
They  may  be  distinguished  in  the  city  by  wearing  the  long 
black  gown,  sash,  and  cornered  cap,  common  to  such  in* 
stitutions  in  Popish  countries. 

The  Chapel  of  the  Seminary,  which  stands  a  little 
left  from  the  principal  gate,  contains  the  best  collection  of 
pictures,  it  is  said,  in  all  Canada!  beginning  on  the  right 
hand  near  the  door,  is  a  picture  of  the  Virgin  Mary  at* 
tended  by  angels,  &c.  in  the  first  chapel  on  that  side  is  a 
picture  of  the  Crucifixion,  over  the  altar ;  on  the  right, 
the  Baptism  of  the  Ethiopian,  John's  Baptism,  St.  John  5 
on  the  left,  a  portrait,  St.  Peter  receiving  the  keys,  infant 
Saviour,  Devotees,  &c.  on  the  church  wall,  next  is  a  good 
picture,  then  the  Ascension,  and  Interment  of  the  Saviour, 
and  over  the  high  altar,  a  Holy  Family,  and  Dove  de* 
Scending  ;  what  appears  to  be  some  priest's  dream  j  on  the 
12 


128  PLACE  D'AIIMES. 

left  side,  is  the  Descent  of  Tongues,  and  an  Angel  visidttg 
a  saint  in  prison,  £ood ;  over  the  altar  in  the  remaining 
chapel,  is  the  Baptism  in  the  Wilderness,  with  a  numbef 
of  poor  pictures ;  and  in  the  church  are  an  Evangelist, 
Wise  Men  presenting  Gifts,  &c. 

In  two  gilt  boxes,  one  on  each  side  of  the  high  altar, 
are  two  sculls,  with  several  human  bones,  placed  against 
red  silk,  which  are  regarded  with  superstitious  reverence, 
PIS  holy  and  perhaps  miraculous  relics ;  a  lamp  is  kept 
constantly  burning  Under  that  on  the  left  hand. 

The  Barracks  are  in  a  large  stone  building  opposite 
the  church,  which  was  'formerly  the  Jesuits'  College :  it 
is  three  and  four  stories  high,  forming  an  angle  like  an 
L,  each  side  of  which  is  about  200  feet  long.  Here  are 
quartered  the  troops  which  garrison  the  city.  Here  were 
imprisoned  the  Americans  captured  in  the  attack  on  the 
city,  in  1775. 

Convents.  There  are  two  convents  in  Quebec  ;  one  of 
them  has  about  40  Ursulines,  who  have  a  large  convent 
and  church  near  the  prison,  in  the  west  part  of  the  city, 
and  keep  a  large  school  for  girls.  The  other  convent  is 
lower  down,  and  contains  a  hospital  for  diseases  of  the 
lighter  kinds  ;  while  the  most  serious  and  severe  are  treat 
ed  at  the  nunnery  near  the  St.  Charles's  River,  about  l*j 
miles  above  the  town.  These  institutions,  however,  aro 
not  now  open  to  visiters  as  they  formerly  were;  at  least  it 
is  generally  impossible  to  gain  access  to  them. 

The  Arsenal  is  near  the  Palace  gate,  and  contains 
about  100,000  stand  of  arms,  arranged  with  great  regu* 
larity. 

The  Place  d?  Armts  is  a  small  square  on  an  elevated 
position,  on  which  stood  the  Castle  of  St.  Louis,  the 
Governor's  residence,  which  was  burnt  in  1834.  Here  is 
a  building  containing  the  Museum  of  the  Society  for  pro 
moting  Literature,  Science,  Arts,  and  Historical  Research 
in  Canada.  Here  is  also  the  Monument  to  Generals 
Wolfe  and  Montcalm,  who  fell  in  the  battle  on  the  Heights 
of  Abraham.  It  is  65  feet  high. 

The  street  beyond  commands  a  fine  view ;  and  there 
are  several  beautiful  terraced  gardens  formed  on  the  steep 
side  of  the  rock,  almost  overhanging  the  buildings  in  the 
lower  town. 


QUEBEC.  129 

The  fortifications  of  the  city  on  the  land  side  are  strong, 
and  worthy  of  particular  attention. 

St.  Louis's  Gate  is  the  highest  of  the  city  gates,  and 
the  street  of  the  same  name  conducts  to  it;  this  leads  to 
the  famous  plains  of  Abraham. 

The  Esplanade  Battery  lies  between  St.  Louis  and  St. 
John's  gates,  and  contains  12  cannon  and  4  mortars,  with 
magazines  built  where  they  could  not  be  injured  by  an 
enemy's  shot.  The  ground  slopes  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
expose  a  large  extent  of  country  to  view  :  the  fine  fertile 
plain  beyond  St.  Charles'  River,  the  beautiful  ridge  of 
lands  beyond,  with  the  villages  of  Lorette,  Charlebourg 
and  others  ;  the  St.  Lawrence  on  the  right,  with  Point  Le- 
vi,  the  Isle  of  Orleans,  and  the  fine  ranges  of  distant  moun 
tains.  The  mouth  of  the  Montmorency  can  easily  be  dis 
cerned,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  about  9  miles 
from  the  city.  That  is  the  spot  where  the  falls  are  to  be 
seen,  and  the  battle  ground  where  Gen.  Wolfe  made  an 
unsuccessful  attack  on  the  French  General  Montcalm,  be- 
fore  the  capture  of  the  city. 

Mounting  to  the  parapet  near  the  gate  of  St.  Louis,  the 
plan  of  the  defences  may  be  in  part  discerned,  even  by  an 
unpractised  eye  ;  and  by  descending  and  passing  through 
the  gate,  the  strength  of  the  place  will  be  better  under 
stood.  The  walls  of  the  city,  the  bastions,  and  other 
works,  are  from  20  to  30  feet  in  height,  and  formed  of 
stone.  The  path  is  made  to  turn  several  abrupt  angles,  in 
order  to  expose  the  approach  to  raking  fires.  The  gate 
is  of  very  heavy  and  durable  masonry,  and  the  passage 
through  it  is  a  dark  arched  way,  about  55  feet  long  ;  it  is 
closed  by  two  heavy  doors,  with  wickets  so  placed  as  not 
to  face  each  other. 

Near  the  Hospital  is  part  of  the  old  French  wall,  about 
50  feet  high,  which  contains  gentlemen's  gardens. 

The  Citadel,  on  Cape  Diamond,  is  designed  for  a  place 
of  impregnable  strength.  It  has  been  gradually  progress 
ing  for  a  number  of  years,  and  is  expected  to  be  soon 
completed.  Admission  may  be  usually  obtained  by  appli 
cation  to  the  proper  officers,  and  necessary  information  can 
be  gained  at  the  hotels.  The  British  government  intend- 
ed  to  devote  £5000  per  annum  on  these  works ;  but  as  the 


130  THE   CITADEL. 

money  was  sometimes  delayed,  they  were  occasionally  ex 
posed  to  some  interruptions.  This  citadel  renders  the  city 
defensible  against  a  large  force. 

Most  of  the  works  are  new,  though  some  parts  of  the 
old  have  been  made  to  serve.  They  include  five  or  six 
acres,  on  the  very  summit  of  Cape  Diamond,  and  extend  to 
the  verge  of  the  precipice,  1)48  feet  above  the  St.  Law 
rence.  There  are  four  bastions  and  one  demi-bastion,  a 
ravelin,  in  advance  of  the  western  bastion,  and  other  out 
works.  The  walls  are  about  40  feet  high,  and  built  per 
pendicularly,  of  fine  hewn  stone  ;  the  ditch  being  blasted 
out  of  the  solid  rock,  and  about  50  feet  wide. 

The  Casemates.  Entering  the  gates  and  passing  be 
hind  the  wall,  a  continued  line  of  large  rooms  is  discovered 
following  the  wall,  built  of  substantial  brick  work,  and 
arched  over  head  with  such  strength  as  to  be  bomb  proof. 
These  rooms,  which  are  known  by  the  technical  name  of 
Casemates,  are  about  50  feet  long,  20  wide,  and  16  or  18 
high,  each  with  a  door  and  two  small  windows,  looking  in 
ward,  and  pierced  at  the  other  side,  with  five  loop  holes 
each,  for  musketry.  These  loop  holes  are  on  the  new 
plan,  narrow  inside,  and  opening  with  steps  faced  with 
iron,  to  prevent  musket  shot  from  glancing  in.  There 
are  about  40  casemates  all  towards  the  land  side :  the 
nutural  defence  of  the  precipice  over  the  water  being 
sufficiently  strong  to  prevent  the  attempts  of  an  enemy 
in  that  direction.  The  casemates  communicate  with 
each  other  by  folding  doors,  which  may  be  thrown  open 
the  whole  length  of  the  bomb-proofs,  and  will  then  fur 
nish  space  for  the  whole  garrison,  (from  3000  to  5000 
men,)  to  parade  at  once. 

The  Subterranean  Passage  leads  from  a  little  staircase 
in  the  bastion  next  east  of  the  gate,  under  the  ditch,  to  a 
small  outwork  with  two  or  three  casemated  rooms.  The 
stairsare  narrow  and  spiral.  At  the  corner  next  the  river  and 
town,  is  the  old  Cavaliers'  Battery,  a  very  heavy  stone  build 
ing,  originally  erected  for  the  palace  of  the  French  governors 
of  Quebec:  below  it,  at  the  water's  edge,  Gen.  Mont 
gomery  was  killed.  It  has  dark  vaults,  the  walls  are  six 
feet  thick,  near  the  ground,  and  from  the  Telegraph  on  the 
top  ia  one  of  the  finest  views  that  can  be  imagined:  the 


Woad  siitface  of  tho  St.  Lawrence  liesbelow,  and  stretches 
off  far  to  the  right  and  left ;  the  whole  city  of  Quebec  13 
crowded  together  almost  beneath  you,  while  Point  Levi; 
\vith  its  white  buildings,  is  seen  opposite,  with  a  long 
stretch  of  lofty  shores.  Turning  the  eye  in  the  opposite 
direction,  the  beautiful  ridge  of  land,  which  begins  many 
miles  down  the  river  on  the  northern  side,  and  rises  with 
a  gentle  swell  crom  the  shore,  covered  with  the  richest  and 
most  varied  display  of  cultivation,  offers  a  most  delightful 
view  over  an  extensive  and  fertile  region,  beautiful  in  form, 
divided  into  innumerable  portions,  cultivated  by  a  dense 
and  industrious  population,  and  scattered  with  their  clus" 
tered  dwellings.  On  the  left,  appears,  among  other  vil 
lages,  that  of  Lorette,  with  the  Montreal  road  for  nine 
miles,  almost  lined  with  houses  }  and  on  the  light  that  of 
Beaufort,  occupying  the  ridge  of  the  high  ground,  while  a 
little  beyond  it,  is  the  chasm  into  which  the  River  Mont- 
morency  plunges,  with  its  famous  cataract,  just  before  it 
.joins  the  St.  Lawrence ;  all  the  horizon  in  that  direction, 
and  indeed  from  the  west  to  the  north,  and  quite  to  the 
cast,  is  broken  by  ranges  of  fine  mountains,  some  of  them 
near  and  bold,  and  in  other  places,  between  them,  distant 
blue  ridges  ate  disclosed,  three,  four,  or  five  in  succession. 
Tsononthuan  Mountain,  which  has  two  summits  and  ig 
2000  feet  high  in  the  northwest,  is  the  southern  extreme 
of  the  granite  range  reaching  from  the  Labrador  coast  to 
Lake  Superior.  In  the  soiith  and  southwest,  where  an 
aperture  is  left,  is  a  distant  and  lower  range,  scattered 
•with  cottages*  It  may,  perhaps,  not  be  hazarding  too 
much  to  say,  that  no  scene  in  Canada,  or  the  United  States, 
can  boast  of  a  combination  of  objects,  comparable  in  va-» 
fiety  and  magnificence  to  those  here  presented  to  view. 

There  is  a  long  staircase  of  many  steps,  leading  from 
this  elevated  position  down  to  the  Lower  Town,  by 
•which  it  was  originally  intended  to  draw  up  heavy  arti* 
cles. 

The  Plains  of  Abraham.^-This  interesting  tract  of 
ground,  the  field  where  Gen.  Wolfe  succeeded,  by  a  bold 
and  decisive  blow  in  capturing  the  city  of  Quebec  in  1759, 
lies  at  only  about  the  distance  of  a  mile,  and  should  not  be 
treglected.  Indeed  it  would  be  found  amply  to  repay  the 

12* 


132  HEIGHTS   Of  ABttAIUMi 

trouble,  to  make  a  much  longer  excursion  in  that  direction/ 
6s  the  road  is  fine  find  the  country  interesting.* 

Passing  out  at  St.  Louis's  Gate,  you  observe  a  numbef 
of  handsome  dwellings  and  gardens  by  the  road  side; 
Until  you  get  some  distance  beyond  the  towers,  when  you 
turn  into  the  Race  Course  on  the  left  side  of  the  road. 
The  foundation  of  a  monument  to  Wolfe  and  Montcalrrt 
\vas  laid  in  1827-.  The  spot  where  Gen.  Wolfe  fell  ia 
near  the  corner  of  the  fenced  field,  off  towards  the  rivei*. 
A  little  east  of  the  place,  is  the  remnant  of  a  bfeast  work 
•with  several  angles,  and  commanding  a  fine  view.  Tho" 
British  line  was  first  formed  across  the  plain,  and  the  bat" 
tie  was  fought  principally  on  that  ground. 

The  Plains  of  Abraham  are  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
in  breadth,  extending  a  great  distance  towards  the  west^ 
with  a  gentle  slope  on  each  side,  and  so  smooth  as  to  offef 
an  admirable  field  for  the  maneuvering  and  display  o( 
troops. 

Wolfe's  Coi>e  is  about  a  mile  further  west* 

*  After  the  battle  of  Montmorency,  while  the  English  fleet  lay  up 
the  river,  at  one  o'clock  in  the  night  of  September  12th,  1759,  Gen. 
Wolfe  quietly  transported  his  troops  from  the  fleet  into  the  boatsf 
and  cautiously  passed  down  the  river.  He  intended  to  land  two  or 
three  miles  above  Cape  Diainond,  and  get  possession  of  the  Heights 
of  Abraham  :  but  was  drifted  down  so  rapidly  that  he  passed  the 
place  without  discovering  it,  and  then  resolved  to  attempt  a  land-* 
ing  at  Wolfe's  Cove,  just  above  the  city,  The  shore  is  bold  and  the 
rocks  so  high  and  steep,  that  only  a  few  sentinels  were  posted 
along  the  precipices  and  the  margin.  This  desperate  enterprise 
however  did  not  discourage  the  leader  or  his  troops  ;  but  an  houi1 
before  day  break  they  had  effected  their  landing,  and  commenced 
the  arduous  ascent  by  a  narrow,  broken  path,  at  the  top  of  which 
Was  stationed  a  captain's  guard.  As  fast  as  the  English  reached 
the  summit  they  formed  on  the  level  plain. 

At  ten  o'clock  Montcalrn  arrived  from  above,  and  a  battle  wan 
fought,  which  decided  the  fate  of  Canada.  Montcalm  stationed 
1500  sharp  shooters  in  front,  but  the  British  coolly  stood  theif 
ground  till  the  French  were  within  40  yards,  when  they  opened 
their  fire,  and  soon  afterwards  terminated  the  engagement  with 
their  bayonets.  The  place  where  the  greatest  carnage  was  made, 
is  near  the  river's  bank,  where  tho  English  left  was  closely  en 
gaged  with  the  French  right,  The  action  lasted  two  hours,  and 
in  it  both  chiefs  received  their  mortal  wounds.  Gen.  Wolfe  wa8 
ahot  in  two  or  three  places,  When  hardly  any  signs  of  life  re* 
maned,  news  was  brought  that  the  day  had  declared  for  the  Bri 
tish,  "  Then,"  said  he,  "  I  die  content-'* 


133 

OP  QUEBEC.  In  1775,  soon  after  the  commence-' 
ihent  of  the  revolution,  the  Continental  Congress  prepared 
an  expedition  against  Canada  It  Consisted  of  two  divi 
sions  f  one  under  Gen.  Montgomery  Came  down  Lake 
Champlain  and  took  St.  John's,  Chamhly,  Sorel,  Three* 
Rivers,  and  then  proceeded  down  the  St.  Lawrence  to 
this  place.  The  other*  under  Gen.  Arnold,  took  the  route 
through  the  wilderness  of  Maine  for  Quebec. 

Arnold  had  10  companies  of  infantry,  besides  3  of  rifle* 
men,  and  one  of  artillery,  with  a  few  volunteers*  They 
proceeded  up  the  Kennebeck,  but  suffered  so  much  from 
Fatigue  and  scarcity  that  many  fell  sick,  and  one  division 
returned.  The  remainder*  however,  reached  Point  Levt 
on  the  9th  of  November,  and  alarmed  the  city.  The 
batteaux  had  been  removed,  and  the  strong  wind  detained 
them  from  crossing,  after  they  had  been  supplied  by  the 
Canadians.  The  English  frigate  Lizard  and  several 
other  vessels  were  also  in  the  river.  He  at  length,  how-* 
ever,  effected  a  landing  a  little  above  Wolfe's  Cove,  and 
marching  down  the  shore  climbed  up  the  rocks  at  that 
place,  and  surrounded  the  city  without  effect.  He  then 
retired  20  miles  to  Pointe  aux  Trembles,  and  waited  fot 
Gen.  Montgomery,  who  arrived,  after  great  trials,  Dec< 
1st,  with  about  300  men. 

The  two  generals  afterwards  marched  to  Quebec,  and 
planting  their  mortars  on  the  snow  and  ice,  fired  into  the 
town  with  little  effect*  The  small  pox  broke  out,  and  the 
cold  was  severe ;  but  the  town  was  attacked  at  four  points 
at  once,  in  a  snow  storm,  without  success.  Montgomery 
was  killed,  one  detachment  was  taken,  and  Arnold  retired 
three  miles  and  intrenched  himself. 

THE  FALLS  OF  MONTMOF£ENCY.  Hire  a  coach,  a  gig, 
acaleche,  or  a  saddle  horse,  and  set  out,  if  possible,  early 
in  the  morning.  In  a  caleche,  you  will  have  the  advantage? 
of  a  guide  in  your  driver.  Pass  through  the  Palace  gate" 
and  a  village  divided  from  Quebec  only  by  the  wall,  cross 
the  bridge  over  St.  Charles'  river,  which  forms  a  regular' 
serpentine,  and  enter  the  beautiful  cultivated  plain  beyond,* 
A  Convent  and  Hospital  are  seen  about  a  mile  on  the  left, 
and  a  handsome  succession  of  fields  is  observed  on  both 
sides,  divided  by  low  palings.  At  the  distance  of  a  mile 
and  a  half  the  road  passes  several  country  houses. 


134  fAT.tS   OF   MONTMOftENCf. 

tliding  down  the  coast,  at  a  considerable  eleVadtf/1 
from  the  river,  many  fine  views  are  presented  of  the  oppo* 
site  banks,  the  isle  of  Orleans,  the  mountains  of  St  Anne 
and  Tourmente  down  the  river.  The  dwellings  are  small/ 
and  the  inhabitants  poor  and  numerous. 

BEAUFORT  is  a  village  principally  composed  of  such 
buildings,  stretching  fora  great  distance  along  the  road. 

On  approaching  the  Montmorency,  the  road  drosses  an 
extensive,  smooth  and  gradual  ascent,  part  of  which  was 
the  field  of  a  bloody  slaughter,  suffered  by  a  division  of 
Gen.  Wolfe's  army  in  1759,  a  short  time  previous  to  his 
battle  on  the  Heights  of  Abraham. 

The  French  lines  were  bounded  by  the  nearer  bank,  as 
the  remains  of  their  intrenchments  on  the  left  still  testify; 
and  the  British  came  up  from  the  shore  of  the  St.  Law* 
rence  on  the  right,  t  o  attack  two  of  their  nearest  batteries 
before  the  second  of  which  they  were  cut  to  pieces. 

Dismounting  in  a  little  wood  and  fastening  the  horsey 
you  may  proceed  along  the  precipitous  bank  of  the  Mont* 
morency,  by  a  foot  path,  to  see  the  falls  from  this  side. 
As  it  is  a  difficult  way,  and  the  view  more  fine  and  unob-1 
structed  from  the  opposite  side,  it  is  hardly  worth  the  trou-« 
ble,  unless  you  have  plenty  of  time.  You  have  to  clamber 
rocks,  pass  down  a  long  ladder,  and  stand  on  the  verge  of 
an  abyss  into  which  the  cataract  dashes.  Water  is  drawn 
off  here  in  a  wooden  race,  for  the  supply  of  Mr.  Patter- 
Bon's  great  Sawmills,  which  are  worthy  of  being  visited^ 

It  is  better  therefore  to  follow  the  road  on  foot,  to  cross) 
the  bridge,  and  entering  the  fields  on  the  right,  follow 
down  the  course  of  the  river,  There  are  several  fine 
points  of  view,  from  which  the  falls  appear  to  great  ad* 
vantage. 

On  the  fine  elevated  point  formed  by  the  junction  of  the 
two  rivers,  and  commanding  an  unobstructed  view  upon 
the  St.  Lawrence  for  many  miles  up  and  down,  with 
several  lofty  mountains  below,  the  Isle  of  Orleans  oppo 
site,  Quebec  above,  and  the  cataract  close  at  hand,  the 
British  here  took  a  strong  position  in  July,  1759  ;  and 
from  this  place  made  a  bold,  but  unsuccessful  attempt 
against  their  enemies  on  the  opposite  side<  The  remains 
of  their  intrenchments  are  plainly  visible  under  our  feet. 

The  best  view  of  the  cataract  is  to  be  enjoyed  from  the 


QUEBEC.  135 

spur  of  the  rock,  which  projects  from  the  eastern  shore  ; 
but  the  spray,  which  keeps  the  surface  covered  with  a 
coat  of  green,  will  drench  the  clothes  in  a  few  minutes. 

The  height  of  the  fall  is  said  to  be  240  feet ;  and  the 
banks  on  both  sides  below  forms  a  precipitous  and  fright 
ful  precipice,  of  rather  a  curving  form,  of  bare,  sharp, 
slaty  rock,  whose  strata  incline  from  north  to  south,  and 
the  perpendicular  veins  run  nearly  N.  W.  and  S.  E.  At 
low  water  the  Montraorency  may  be  forded,  with  some 
caution,  where  it  was  passed  by  the  British  troops;  but 
the  tide  rises  fast  and  high. 

BATTLE  OF  MONTMORENCY.  When  General  Wolfe 
came  to  operate  against  Quebec  in  June,  1759,  he  posted 
his  arrny  on  the  island  of  Orleans  while  the  fleet  block 
aded  the  port.  At  the  end  of  that  month  General  Moiick- 
ton  was  sent  over  to  Point  Levi,  and  established  himself 
there,  whence  he  was  able  to  fire  upon  the  city.  Above 
the  River  Montmorency,  the  landing  was  protected  by 
the  Marquis  de  Montcalm.  General  Wolfe  landed  his 
troops  at  the  mouth  of  the  Montmorency  during  the  night 
of  July  31st,  and  erected  a  battery  on  the  precipice  north 
east  of  the  falls,  the  remains  of  which  are  to  bo  seen. 
The  French  were  intrenched  along  the  opposite  bank  ; 
and  on  the  31st  of  July,  General  Wolfe  sent  his  troops 
to  ford  the  Montmorency  below  the  falls,  to  storm  their 
works.  Some  of  General  Monckton's  force  from  Point 
Levi  in  crossing  with  boats  got  aground,  and  difficulty 
ensued  ;  but  the  lauding  was  made  in  the  afternoon  on 
the  beach  to  the  right  of  the  saw  mills.  They  came, 
however,  too  late ;  for  the  thirteen  grenadier  companies 
with  200  Americans,  who  had  landed  before,  refused  to 
wait  or  to  form,  as  had  been  intended  in  four  columns, 
but  marched  tumultuously  round  the  rock,  and  rushed  up 
hill  in  a  mass  towards  the  French  works,  at  some  distance 
back  from  the  old  redoubt  on  the  point,  which  had  been 
deserted.  A  warm  fire,  however,  was  directed  against 
them,  which  cut  down  about  500  men,  and  they  were 
obliged  to  re  treat  to  the  redoubt,  whence  they  were  ordered 
back  to  the  beach  to  form.  The  enterprise  was  then  in 
terrupted  by  a  severe  storm,  and  finally  abandoned. 

The  VILLAGE  OF  LOEETTE  may  be  taken  in  the  way 


136  LAKE    CHAMPLAIN. 

returning  from  Montmorency,  if  there  should  be  time 
enough  remaining,  (which  is  barely  possible,)  and  the 
ride  along  the  high  ridge  leading  in  that  direction,  will  be 
found  delightful.  Lorette  is  an  Indian  village,  with  a 
church,  and  the  stranger  may  furnish  himself  with  mjcca- 
sins,  belts,  pipes,  &c. 

Land  Route  from  Quebec  to  Montreal. 
Upper  Road. 

(The  pleasanter.)  1st  post,  Lorette  16  miles,  2d 
Jacques  Cartier  16,  3d  Descharnbeaux  16,  4th  St.  Anne 
16,  5th  BatiscampS,  6th  Champlain  9,  7th  Aux  Cayes  8, 
8th  Trois  Rivieres  6. 

Lower  Road. 

1st  post,  Cape  Rouge  9  miles,  2d  St.  Augustine  9,  3d 
Pointeaux  Trembles  8,  4th  Ecureil  9,  5th  Cape  Sante  9. 

(Garneau's  inn,  called  "  The  Three  Sisters,1'  is  ex 
cellent.) 

6th  Deschambeanx,  &c.  8. 

ROUTES  FROM  QUEBEC. 

STEAMBOAT.  Leaving  the  dock,  you  pass  under  Cape 
Diamond,  nearly  at  the  foot  of  which  (Jeneral  Mont 
gomery  was  killed  in  1775. 

Wolffs  Cove  is  about  a  mile  beyond.     See  page  132. 

Rapids  of  Richelieu,  page  124.  Three  Rivers,  page 
123.  Lake  St.  Peter.  William  Henry  or  Sorel,  page 
122.  Montreal,  page  114. 

FROM  MONTREAL  TO  LAKE  CHAMPLAIN,  AND  THE 
UNITED  STATES. 

Passage  from  St.  John's  to  Whitehall.  Isle  aux  Nois 
10  miles,  Rouse's  Point  11,  Chazy  12,  Plattsburgh  15, 
Port  Kent  8,  Burlington  10,  Charlotte,  Essex  15,  Port 


ROUTE   FROM   CANADA.  137 

Clinton  10,  Dalliba's  Works,  Port  Henry  9,  Chimney 
Point  12,  Ticonderoga  15,  Whitehall  25. 

On  leaving  Ticonderoga,  the  lake  soon  becomes  much 
narrower. 

The  FOUR  CHANNELS.  Fourteen  miles  from  White 
hall,  the  lake  suddenly  contracts  itself  into  four  narrow 
passages,  between  two  ranges  of  mountains,  which  in 
some  placespresent  perpendicular  precipices  ;  and  its  bed, 
at  low  water,  appears  almost  entirely  occupied  by  a  little 
meadow  of  the  brightest  green,  through  which  the  chan 
nels  wind  with  beautiful  turnings. 

A  succession  of  beautiful  little  turnings  are  passed, 
with  ragged  precipices,  and  many  little  patches  of  level 
ground  on  the  margin  of  the  water  ;  while,  on  the  eastern 
side,  the  tow  path  accompanies  the  bank. 

SOUTH  BAY  opens  to  the  south,  and  runs  down  five 
miles  between  high  mountains.  General  Dieskau  took 
this  route  with  his  army,  in  going  towards  Fort  Edward, 
in  1755. 

The  DEVIL'S  PULPIT  is  a  singular  cavity  in  the  face  of 
a  bare  precipice  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  creek. 

The  ELBOW  is  a  narrow  part  of  the  creek,  with  two 
very  short  turns,  through  which  the  passage  requires  a  very 
exact  helm. 

EAST  BAY  strikes  off  at  the  first  bend,  and  makes  up 
five  miles,  along  a  romantic  country.  A  sugar  loaf  hill 
will  be  observed  at  a  little  distance  on  the  right,  which 
rises  above  Whitehall,  and  makes  the  approach  to  that 
place  quite  picturesque. 

WHITEHALL.  On  the  top  of  a  rock  over  the  harbour 
was  formerly  a  battery,  and  in  the  town  a  block  house. 
Numerous  boats  and  great  quantities  of  lumber  are  usually 
seen  here,  as  the  Champlain  or  Northern  Canal  begins  at 
the  bridge,  where  are  two  locks,  with  a  sluiceway,  and  a 
rocky  channel. 

The  heights  at  this  place  were  occupied  by  Burgoyne's 
right  wing,  while  he  was  preparing  to  march  towards  Sa 
ratoga  ;  his  centre  was  formed  by  General  Frazer;  the 
Brunswickers  on  the  left,  rested  on  the  river  of  Castleton; 
and  the  Hessians  were  at  the  head  of  East  Bay. 


138  KOUTE   FROM   CANADA, 

To  ALBANY,  by  canal  packet  or  stagecoach,  68  m* 
Fort  Anne,  12;  Fort  Edward,  9;  here  a  coach  passes  to 
Saratoga  Springs  ;  Fort  Miller,  8  ;  Sohuyiersville,  6  } 
British  Lines,  7  ;  (see  page  78)  ;  Passir-g  Behmis's 
Heights,  Stillwater,  8 :  Borough,  3  ;  Waterford,*  8<|« 
Hence  railroads  lead  to  Ballston  and  Troy. 

The  road  accompanies  the  course  of  Wood  Creek, 
which  is  dammed  and  used  for  a  canal,  to  which  its  nar 
rowness  and  depth  give  it  a  strong  resemblance.  This 
creek  is  famous  in  the  history  of  the  operations  in  thia 
region  during  the  revolutionary  and  French  wars;  and 
after  repeated  exertions  to  clear  it  of  the  logs,  &c.  by 
which  it  was  obstructed,  it  bore  the  troops  sent  against 
Canada,  &c.  which  often  passed  by  this  route,  from  the 
days  of  Queen  Anne.  The  scenery  is  agreeable,  though 
rough  ;  and  there  is  little  cultivation  off  the  road. 

Half  a  mile  north  of  the  village  of  Fort  Anne,  Wood 
Creek  makes  an  elbow  to  a  ledge  of  rocks,  so  near  that 
there  is  but  little  space  for  the  road  between.  Here 
Col.  Sterry  was  overtaken,  in  the  retreat  from  Ticonde 
roga,  in  1777,  by  Burgoyne's  troops,  and  an  engagement 
took  place,  memorials  of  which  are  occasionally  found  in 
the  soil  to  this  day.  A  little  south,  on  the  brow  of  the 
hill,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  stagehouse,  stood  Fort 
Anne,  in  the  revolution. 

The  old  fort  of  the  same  name,  built  many  years  pro* 
viously,  and  known  in  the  French  wars,  was  about  half 
a  mile  south  of  the  village,  on  a  gentle  eminence  a  little 
east  of  the  road,  where  some  remains  of  the  old  in- 
trenchments  are  still  to  be  seen. 

The  remains  of  Burgoyne's  Road  begin  about  two 
miles  south  of  Fort  Anne,  at  the  foot  of  a  hill,  and  are 
traced  about  three  fourths  of  a  mile,  near  the  present 
road  to  a  wood.  It  was  formed  of  logs,  and  found  ne 
cessary  to  render  the  country  passable  with  his  cannon 
and  baggage  wagons.  The  labour  necessary  for  its  f.ir-* 
mation,  superadded  to  that  of  clearing  Wood  Creek  of 
the  obstructions  which  Gen.  Schuyler  had  thrown  into 

*  Saddle  Mountain,  whose  lofty  ridge  will  be  seen  from  almoct 
every  point  in  this  vicinity,  is  2,800  feet  higher  than  the  bite  of 
Williams'  College.  It  derives  its  name  from  its  resemblance  to 
a  riding  saddle. 


FORT   EDWARD.  139 

it  after  the  retreat  of  the  Americans,  was  one  great 
cause  of  the  delay  of  the  British  army,  on  this  part  of 
the  road — a  delay  which  allowed  the  people  time  to  re 
sume  their  spirits,  and  the  officers  to  lay  plans,  obtain 
resources,  and  prepare  for  the  sanguinary  scenes  at  Beh- 
mis's  Heights,  and  the  surrender  at  Saratoga. 

French  Mountain  opens  to  view  a  little  beyond,  with 
a  succession  of  high  grounds  in  the  direction  of  South 
Bay,  Lake  George,  &c. 

About  half  a  mile  above  Fort  Edward,  is  the  place 
where  was  perpetrated 

The  Murder  of  Miss  Me  Crea.  Miss  McCrea  lived  in 
the  village  of  Fort  Edward.  In  the  revolutionary  war,  & 
young  man  named  Jones,  to  whom  she  was  betrothed, 
having  attached  himself  to  the  English  cause,  and  joined 
their  forces  in  Canada,  was  invested  with  a  captain's 
command  in  Gen.  Burgoyne's  army.  After  the  retreat 
of  the  Americans  from  the  lake,  and  while  the  British 
were  approaching,  he  sent  a  party  of  Indians  to  Fort 
Edward  to  bring  his  intended  bride  to  him,  that  he  might 
secure  her  safety.  She  was  very  unwilling  to  proceed 
with  her  savage  conductors  on  the  road  towards  Fort 
Anne ;  and  had  gone  only  half  a  mile  when  the  Indians 
stopped  to  drink  at  a  spring  which  still  flows  by  the 
way  side ;  and  while  here  were  met  by  another  party  of 
Indians  despatched  to  hasten  them  on.  Those  who  came 
last  attempted  to  take  her  under  their  charge ',  but  the 
others,  being  determined  not  to  give  her  up  alive,  bound: 
her  to  a  tree  that  is  yet  standing  near  the  spring,  and  shot 
her  dead  with  their  muskets.  Locks  of  her  hair  were 
borne  to  her  lover  to  prove  that  the  Indians  had  performed 
what  they  considered  their  duty  to  their  employer. 

This  storv  rang  through  the  country ;  and  it  was  re 
ported  that  Gen.  Burgoyne  encouraged  or  at  least  per 
mitted  the  murder.  In  indignant  terms  he  denied  the 
charge ;  and  there  appears  no  probability  that  he  had 
the  least  knowledge  of  it.  He,  however,  was  justly 
chargeable  with  a  great  offence  against  humanity,  in 
bringing  tribes  of  savages  in  his  train,  whose  barbarity  he 
could  never  be  sure  of  restraining. 

FORT  EDWARD.  This  village  was  built  in  the  neigh 
bourhood  of  a  fort  raised  during  the  war  of  1755,  for  the 
13 


HO  FORT   MILLER. 

defence  of  this  point  of  the  river.  It  was  first  called  Fort 
Lyman,  after  Gen.  Lyman,  of  whom  we  have  already  had 
occasion  to  make  honourable  mention  at  Lake  George. 
This  spot  was  formerly  called  the  First  Carrying  Place, 
being  the  point  where,  in  the  expeditions  against  Canada, 
the  troops,  stores,  &c.  were  landed  and  taken  to  Wood 
Creek,  a  distance  of  twelve  miles,  where  they  were  again 
embarked. 

Baker's  Falls,  at  Sandy  Hill,  are  worthy  of  particu 
lar  attention,  and  are  seen  to  great  advantage  from  some 
parts  of  the  bank.  The  whole  descent  of  the  river  at 
this  place  is  about  75  feet. 

Fort  Miller.  The  village  still  retains  the  name  of  a 
fort  erected  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  in  former  times. 
It  was  a  work  of  insignificant  size,  situated  on  the  bank 
and  near 

Miller's  Falls.  The  descent  of  the  river  here  is  rapid, 
and  over  a  broken  channel.  The  falls  were  formerly  con 
sidered  impassable  with  safety,  until  Gen.  Putnam  per 
formed  it  while  stationed  at  Fort  Miller,  in  the  French 
war. 

The.  Great  Dam.  Above  Fort  Edward,  a  large  and 
expensive  dam  900  feet  long,  has  been  built  across  the 
river,  and  a  canal  cut  along  the  bank  to  open  a  passage  for 
boats*  [For  places  on  any  route  selected  by  the  traveller, 
see  the  Index.] 

TOUR  OF  NEW-ENGLAND. 

To  Travellers  going  Eastward  from  Neve-  York. 

It  is  recommended  to  the  stranger  who  is  travelling 
eastward  to  see  the  country,  to  determine  on  some  plan  for 
his  journey  before  setting  out.  Steamboats  go  from  New- 
York  to  the  following  places  on  the  northern  shore  of  Long 
Island  Sound :  Greenwich,  Norwalk,  Stamford,  Bridge 
port,*  Stratford,  New-Haven,  Connecticut  River,  (and  up 
that  to  Hartford,)  New-London,  (and  Norwich,)  Newport, 
(and  Providence.) 

*  The  HousKlonic  Railroad,  from  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  to  meet  the 
Berkshire  Railroad  on  the  Massachusetts  line,  is  already  complete 


TOUR  OF   NEW-ENGLAND,  141 

EAST  RIVER. 

Leaving  New- York  in  any  of  the  East  River  steamboats, 
the  traveller  has  Brooklyn  on  the  right,  now  the  second  city 
for  size  in  the  state,  elevated,  well  built,  shady  and  health 
ful. 

The  Navy  Yard,  just  beyond. 

The  Railway,  for  ships,  is  above,  on  the  west  side. 

The  Penitentiary,  and  the  Fever  Hospital,  are  a  little 
beyond.  The  Penitentiary  on  Blackwell's  Island,  the 
Poor  House  Farm  opposite,  and  the  Lunatic  Hospital  on 
the  north  end  of  it. 

From  Hell  Gate,  on  the  distant  high  ground,  west,  is 
seen  the  Lunatic  Asylum ;  and  a  number  of  handsome 

to  New  Milford,  35  miles,  and  is  to  be  finishedjin  1841.  It'will  be  73 
miles  from  the  Sound  to  Massachusetts.  The  Berkshire  Railroad 
will  connect  it  with  the  Great  Western  Railroad,  at  West  Stock- 
bridge.  Begun  1837,  estimated  cost,  a  million — has  an  embankment 
and  a  tunnel,  maximum'srade  40  feet  per  mile,  a  minimum  curva 
ture  1000  feet  radius.  From  Bridgeport  to  West  Stockbridge,  95 
miles— to  Albany  133. 

The  road  to  New-Haven  passes  through  Harlem  on  Manhattan 
Island,  West  Chester,  East  Chester,  New-Rochelle,  Mamaronec, 
and  Rye,  in  the  State  of  New-York;  and  Greenwich,  Stamford, 
Darien,  Norwalk,  Fairfield,  Bridgeport,  Stratford,  Milford,  and 
Orange  in  Connecticut 

In  the  town  of  Greenwich,  33  miles  from  New-York,  is  a  steep 
hill  descending  towards  the  north,  down  which  General  Putnam 
once  effected  his  escape  from  several  British  officers  and  soldiers 
during  the  revolutionary  war,  when  returning  from  a  scout.  Ho 
drove  his  horse  hastily  down  the  rocky  hill  side,  a  little  east  of  the 
road,  and  near  the  fence,  and  saved  so  much  distance  as  to  elude 
his  pursuers. 

In  the  town  of  Fairfield,  53  miles  from  New-York,  a  mile  or  two 
before  reaching  the  village,  is  a  low,  level  piece  of  ground  on  the 
right  hand  side  of  the  road,  which  was  formerly  an  almost  impene 
trable  swamp,  and,  at  an  early  period  of  our  history,  was  the  scene 
of  a  bloody  slaughter.  It  was  hither  that  the  remains  of  a  powerful 
and  terrible  nation  of  Indians,  called  Pequods,  having  fled  from 
their  country  about  New-London  and  Groton, after  the  destruction 
of  their  fort  at  Mystic  by  Capt.  Mason,  in  1636,  were  either  killed 
or  taken  captive.  This  was  their  last  and  total  defeat,  and  extin 
guished  their  name  as  a  nation.  Much  of  the  ground  has  been 
cleared  in  modern  times ;  and  some  reliques  have  been  found  to 
confirm  the  traditions  of  the  neighbourhood. 

This  place  was  burnt  by  the  British  in  the  revolution.  Daubury, 
an  inland  town,  was  also  burnt,  with  extensive  public  stores,  and 
aa  action  was  fought  in  which  Gen.  Wooster  fell. 


142  NEW-HAVEK. 

country  houses  along  the  green  shore  on  the  left.  The 
surface  is  broken  by  several  rocks,  and  by  the  agitation  of 
the  water,  particularly  at  the  whirl  called  the  Great  Pot, 
a  little  north  of  the  point,  and  the  rapid  current  on  the  oppo 
site  shore,  known  by  the  name  of  the  Hog's  Back.  In  coming 
from  the  north,  almost  the  first  view  of  New-York  is  here 
presented,  between  the  western  shore  and  Blackwell's  Isl 
and,  with  a  shot  tower  on  the  right. 

NEW-HAVEN. — This  is  decidedly  one  of  the  most  beau 
tiful  towns  in  the  United  States.  The  soil  is  not  very  good, 
and  the  situation  is  low ;  the  city  is  laid  out  in  squares, 
with  straight  and  broad  streets,  and  the  elevated  ground 
in  the  neighbourhood  renders  the  approach  very  fine  from 
almost  every  direction.  It  stands  at  the  head  of  a  spa 
cious  bay,  with  a  light  house  on  the  eastern  point,  a  small 
battery  on  the  shore,  and  two  Bluffs,  called,East  and  West 
Rocks,  2  or  3  miles  behind  the  town.  A  more  distant 
peak  is  seen  between  them,  which  is  Mount  Carmel.  The 
Long  wharf  is  three  quarters  of  a  mile  in  length.  The 
steamboats  stop  at  the  bridge,  where  Railroad  cars  for 
Hartford,  and  carriages  will  be  found  in  waiting  to  take 
travellers  to  the  centre  of  the  town,  which  is  more  than 
a  mile  distant. 

Near  the  bridge,  is  the  Steamboat  Hotel.  The  streets 
are  regular  and  pleasant,  forming  squares,  one  of  which  is 
a  green  surrounded  by  rows  of  elms,  with  three  churches 
and  the  State  House  in  the  middle,  and  the  College  build 
ings,  occupying  the  western  side,  presenting  a  scene  pro 
bably  not  equalled  by  any  town  of  this  size  in  the  United 
States.  The  abundance  of  fine  trees,  the  neatness  and 
beauty  of  the  dwellings,  the  good  society  of  the  place,  and 
the  distinguished  position  it  holds  as  a  seat  of  learning, 
render  New- Haven  the  resort  of  a  great  number  of  stran 
gers  during  the  travelling  season,  and  the  temporary  resi 
dence  of  not  a  few. 

There  is  a  Hopkins  Grammar  School  in  the  town,  and 
a  number  of  Boarding  Schools  for  young  ladies. 

Yale  College.  This  institution,  however,  is  the  prin 
cipal  object  which  will  attract  the  attention  of  the  stran 
ger.  It  was  founded  in  1701,  commenced  at  Killing- 
worth,  then  removed  to  Saybrook,  and  after  a  few  years 
permanently  fixed  in  this  town.  The  first  building  was  of 


TOUR  OF   HEW-EHGLANB.  14 

vroad,  and  stood  near  the  corner  of  College  and  Chapel- 
streets.  There  are  now  four  buildings  for  students,  each 
containing  32  rooms,  a  Chapel,  with  a  Philosophical 
chamber  and  apparatus,  and  a  Lyceum,  with  recitation 
rooms  and  the  library.  In  the  rear  are  the  Trumbull  Pic 
ture  Gallery,  the  Common's  Hall,  in  a  small  building  with 
the  splendid  Mineralogical  Cabinet  above,  which  is  the 
finest  collection  of  the  kind  in  the  United  States, purchased 
from  the  late  Colonel  Gibbs,  of  New-York.  In  another 
building  is  the  Chemical  Laboratory,  where  Professor  Silli- 
man  delivers  his  lectures.  The  institution  contains  above 
500  scholars. 

Next  north  of  the  College  is  the  house  of  President 
Day,  and  the  professors  have  pleasant  residences  i»  the 
town. 

The  Medical  Institution  is  at  the  north  end  of  College- 
street. 

The  NKW  BURYING;  GROUND  is  situated  opposite  the 
Medical  Institution,  and  occupies  a  large  extent  of  larj&f 
partly  planted  with  poplars,  and  containing  a  great  num 
ber  of  beautiful  monuments,  of  different  designs.  It  is- 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  cemeteries  in  this  country. 

The  OLD  BURYING  GROUND  was  in  the  middle  of  the 
green,  in  the  rear  of  the  Centre  Church,  and  there  are  to 
be  seen  two  ancient  stone  monuments,  of  a  small  size, 
which  are  supposed  to  mark  the  graves  of  two  of  the  re 
gicide  judges,  Whalley  and  Dixwell,  although  there  is 
borne  doubt  on  the  subject.  (See  Stiles'  Judges.) 

The  Farmington  Canal,  commencing  near  the  head  of 
the  wharf  in  this  city,  is  crossed  by  the  traveller  in  going 
up  from  the  steamboat,  near  the  market.  The  basin  i» 
large  and  commodious;  and  the  canal,  passing  through  a 
part  of  the  city,  and  bending  round  along  the  outskirts, 
on  the  north  side,  intersects  several  streets,  by  which  ii 
is  crossed  on  handsome  bridges.  With  a  gradual  ascent, 
the  canal  passes  somewhat  circuitoasly  up  the  valley  which 
opens  towards  Mount  Carmel,  between  East  and  West 
Rocks ;  and  one  of  the  stage  roads  to  Hartford,  which 
passes  through  Cheshire  and  Farmington,  affords  many 
yiews  of  it  in  different  places. 

Thcrs  are   pleasam  rides    in1  various  directions  frona 
13* 


144  HEW-HAVEK, 

New-Haven,  the  roads  being  numerous,  and  the  face  of 
the  country  favourable.  The  two  mountains  command 
extensive  views,  and  though  the  access  is  rather  fatiguing, 
the  excursion  is  recommended  to  those  who  are  fond  of 
such  enterprises. 

The  JUDGES'  CAVE  is  on  the  summit  of  West  Rock, 
about  a  mile  north  of  the  bluff;  and  the  way  to  it  leads 
near  Beaver  Pond  and  Pine  Rock,  (on  the  south  side  of 
which  is  a  small  cave,)  then  between  Pine  and  West 
Rocks.  You  here  turn  off  the  road  to  the  left,  by  a  path 
across  a  brook;  and  a  guide  may  usually  be  obtained  at 
a  small  house  just  beyond,  who  can  show  a  horse  path  to 
the  summit. 

The  cave  is  formied  by  the  crevices  between  seven  large 
rocks,  apparently  thrown  together  by  some  convulsion. 
It  is  small,  and  entirely  above  ground,  with  a  rude  rock, 
like  a  column,  on  each  hand.  That  on  the  right  contains 
this  inscription-^ 

"Opposition  to  Tyrants  is  obedience  to  God," 

to  remind  the  visiter  that  the  place  once  afforded  shelter 
to  Goffe  and  Whalley,  two  of  the  judges  of  King  Charles 
the  First,  who  escaped  to  the  colonies  and  secreted  them" 
selves  for  some  time  in  this  solitary  place.  They  were 
supplied  with  food  by  a  family  which  resided  near  the 
foot  of  the  mountain^  and  a  little  boy  was  despatched  tot 
them  every  day,  who  left  a  basket  of  provisions  on  a 
rock,  without  knowing  what  cause  he  was  subserving. 
The  place  commands  an  extensive  view  upon  the  couri* 
try  below,  with  a  large  tract  of  Long  Island,  and  the 
Sound. 

The  MANUFACTORY  OF  MUSKETS  is  2  miles  north  of 
New-Ha'"en,  on  the  road  to  Hartford  by  Meriden,  and  at 
the  foot  of  East  Rock.  It  was  established  by  Mr.  Whit* 
ney,  the  well-known  inventor  of  the  Cotton  Jin. 

The  New-Haven  and  Hartford  Railroad,  40  miles 
long,  begins  at  the  steamboat  wharf,  avoids  the  city, 
crosses  Quinnepiack  river,  and  passes  through  the  town 
ships  of  North  Haven,  Wallingford,  Meriden,  Berlin  and 
Wethersfield, 


10UR  OF   NEW-ENGLAND.  145 

It  pursues  the  general  course'ef  "the  old  colonial 
Toad,"  the  route  taken  in  early  time?  between  New- Ha-- 
Ven  and  Hartford,  which  were  independent  colonies.  It 
was  originally  an  Indian  trail.  It  unfortunately  avoids 
most  of  the  villages  in  its  neighbourhood,  so  that  the  tra 
veller  who  wishes  to  see  them  should  take  some  other 
road,  through  either  Middletown  or  Farmington.  (For 
those  places  see  Index.) 

Beyond  New- Haven  in  Long  Island  Sound  lies  a  clus 
ter  of  islands  called  the  THIMBLES,  famous  in  the  tradi 
tions  of  the  neighbouring  Connecticut  coast,  as  the  ancient 
resort  of  Capt.  Kidd,  a  notable  pirate,  whose  treasures  of 
solid  gold,  it  is  still  believed  by  some,  are  concealed  some 
where  hereabouts. 

We  shall  here  leave  Long  Island  Sound  to  proceed  up 
Connecticut  River,  and  only  refer  the  reader  to  the  Index 
for  an  account  of  the  coast  beyond,  and  the  following 
subjects  and  places  :  New-London,  the  Themes,  Nor 
wich,  the  Mohegans,  the  Pequods,  Saccacus's  Fort, 
Stonington,  Mystic  Fort,  the  Narragansett  shore,  New 
port,  Providence,  &c. 

SAYBROOK,  CONNECTICUT.  At  this  place  was  the 
first  settlement  made  by  Europeans  on  Connecticut  river. 
It  was  done  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  many  of  the 
Tightful  proprietors  of  the  country  on  its  banks,  who  had 
been  despoiled  of  their  possessions  by  their  formidable 
enemies,  the  Pequods.  The  River  Indians,  as  our  old 
histories  usually  denominate  the  former,  twice  made  ap 
plication  to  the  English  at  Plymouth  and  at  Boston,  to 
obtain  settlers  from  their  native  soil,  offering  to  give  them 
land  enough,  and  to  pay  200  beaver  skins  annually  for 
the  benefit  of  their  society.  But  the  undertaking  was 
-considered  too  hazardous,  and  it  was  not  until  the  year 
1635,  when  the  Dutch  at  New-York  showed  a  determi 
nation  to  seize  upon  the  country,  which  they  claimed  as 
their  own,  that  a  small  detachment  of  men  was  sent  from 
Boston  by  water  to  prepare  for  opening  a  trade  with  the 
Indians,  and  to  build  a  fort  at  the  mouth  of  tho  river. 
Their  haste  was  soon  justified  by  events:  for  immediately 
after  their  landing,  a  Dutch  vessel  entered,  and  proceed 
ing  up  to  Hartford-,  landed  a  body  of  men,  who  soon  esta- 


146  CONNECTICUT   RIVER, 

blished  themselves  in  a  fort  they  called  Good  Hope,  cm 
a  spot  they  obtained  from  Pequod  usurpers. 

The  settlement  of  Saybrook  was  begun  under  a  grant 
made  to  Lord  Say  and  Seal,  Lord  Brook,  and  others,  by 
George  Fenwick,  Esq.  who  fled  to  this  country  with  his 
family.  The  old  fort  stood  near  the  present  fort  hill, 
upon  an  eminence  which  has  since  been  destroyed  by  the 
waves;  and  the  ground  immediately  behind  it  was  after 
wards  occupied  by  the  fields  and  habitations  of  the  colo 
nists  It  was  expected  from  the  first,  that  the  situation 
would  render  the  place  a  great  city  ;  and  after  the  fear  of 
the  Indians  had  subsided,  the  whole  peninsula,  which 
bears  the  name  of  Say  brook  Point,  was  laid  out  with  the 
greatest  regularity  into  fields  of  an  equal  size,  except  sur-h 
parts  as  were  reserved  for  the  erection  of  public  buildings. 
Many  emigrants  were  once  collected  in  England,  and 
prepared  for  a  voyage  to  this  place.  Some  persons  of 
high  rank  and  importance  were  among  them,  and  it  is  a 
well-authenticated  fact,  that  Oliver  Cromwell  had  deter 
mined  to  embark  in  the  enterprise,  and  was  once  on  the 
very  eve  of  quitting  Englan<l  for  ever,  when  some  un 
foreseen  occurrence  prevented  him. 

The  want  of  a  harbour,  and  the  obstacles  presented  to 
a  free  navigation  by  a  large  sand  bar  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  have  effectually  prevented  the  expectations  of  the 
settlers  of  Saybrook  from  being  realized;  and  no  remains 
of  their  works  can  now  be  discovered,  except  in  the  rec 
tangular  forms  of  the  fields,  and  the  cellars  of  some  of 
their  dwellings,  just  beyond  the  burying  ground,  the 
foundation  stones  of  which  have  since  been  employed  in 
building  the  neighbouring  fences.  One  of  the  largest 
excavations  is  said  to  have  been  the  cellar  of  the  old  col 
lege  building  The  soldiers  were  frequently  attacked 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  fort  by  the  Pfcquods,  bat 
they  afterwards  ran  a  palisade  across  the  isthmus  which 
leads  from  the  mam  land.  Yale  College  was  placed 
here  for  a  time. 

COMJK.CTICUT  RIVER.  The  shores  present  a  con 
tinued  succession  of  hilly  and  picturesque  country,  with 
few  interruptions  of  level  land,  from  a  little  above  Say- 
brook  as  far  as  MiddLetown,  TLe  roughness  »mi 


TOUR   OF    NEW-ENGLAND.  147 

mature  of  the  soil  prevent  the  cultivation  of  many  moun 
tainous  tracts  :  yet  there  are  farms  enough  to  give  a  con 
siderable  degree  of  softness  to  the  scenery.  The  variety 
-of  rocky  and  wooded  hanks,  mingling  with  little  patches 
of  cultivated  ground,  and  the  habitations  scattered  along 
the  river,  is  very  agreeable,  and  often  affords  scenes  high 
ly  picturesque  and  delightful. 

ESSEX,  7  miles  from  Saybrook,  formerly  called  Petti- 
paug,  is  a  small  village,  situated  on  the  ascent  and  sum 
mit  of  a  handsome  elevation.  During  the  late  war  with 
Great  Britain,  this  place  was  taken  by  the  enemy,  who 
came  up  the  river  in  launches,  and  taking  the  inhabitants 
by  surprise,  occupied  the  town  for  a  few  hours. 

EAST  H  ADD  AM.  The  landing  place  here  is  rockyt 
mountainous  and  wild,  and  a  good  specimen  of  a  large 
portion  of  the  town  to  which  it  belongs.  The  late  Gen. 
Champion's  house,  built  among  the  rocks  above,  udds 
much  to  the  appearance  of  the  place.  This  region  is 
famous  for  a  kind  of  earthquakes  and  subterranean  sounds, 
which  were  formerly  common  for  a  short  distance  round. 
They  gave  occasion  to  many  superstitious  reports,  but 
have  ceased  within  a  few  years.  They  were  called  Moo- 
dus  Noises,  after  the  Indian  name  of  the  place.  Large 
beryls  are  found  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  many  other 
minerals  interesting  to  the  scientific  traveller. 

HADDAM  is  built  on  an  eminence  50  or  CO  feet  high, 
which  appears  like  the  remains  of  an  old  bank  of  the  river, 
descending  to  a  little  meadow  which  is  covered  with 
orchards,  grazing  ground,  &c.  while  a  range  of  com 
manding  hills  rise  beyond. 

HIGGENUM  is  one  of  the  little  landing  places  so  numer 
ous  along  the  river's  course,  2  miles  above  Haddam. 

MIDDLE  HA.DDAM,27ni7es.  This  is  a  pleasant  country 
village,  stretching  along  a  hill  covered  with  orchards  and 
house  lots,  and  backed  by  higher  and  wilder  eminences. 
It  is  about  6  miles  below  Middletown. 

THE  NARROWS.  Here  the  river  turns  abruptly  to  the 
west,  and  flows  between  two  lofty  hills,  which  it  has 
divided  at  some  long  past  period,  before  which,  there  is 
every  reason  to  believe,  the  country  for  a  great  distance 
above  Avas  covered  by  a  lake.  A  mile  or  two  eastward  of 
•this  place,  there  is  the  appearance  of  an  old  channel,, 


148  M1DDLKTOWS. 

•where  the  water  probably  ran,  at  a  great  height  above  its 
present  level. 

The  Lead  Mine  is  a  short  distance  from  the  southern 
bank  of  the  river,  near  two  or  three  old  houses.  (See  a 
little  beyond.) 

Fort  Hill  is  the  last  elevated  part  of  the  southern  bank. 
It  was  formerly  a  little  fortress  belonging  to  Souheag,  an 
Indian  chief,  whose  dominion  extended  over  the  present 
towns  of  Middletown,  Chatham,  and  Wethersfield.  The 
large  buildings  on  the  hill  in  Middletown  belong  to  the 
Wesleyan  University. 

MIDDLETOWN  is  beautifully  situated  on  the  western 
bank  of  the  river,  where  the  water  is  spread  out  to  a  con 
siderable  breadth,  and  disappears  so  suddenly  at  the  Nar 
rows  that  from  many  points  of  view,  it  has  the  appearance 
of  a  small  lake,  with  high,  sloping,  and  cultivated  shores. 
This  is  a  most  agreeable  residence. 

The  Wesleyan  University  has  a  building  150  feet 
long,  50  broad,  and  4  stories  high,  with  rooms  for  scholars  ; 
a  chapel  with  recitation  rooms  above,  both  of  stone ;  and 
an  eating  hall  of  brick,  120  feet  long,  with  a  piazza. 

The  Quarries  of  Freestone,  on  the  opposite  shore, 
have  furnished  a  valuable  building  material  for  some  years 
and  have  been  worked  to  a  considerable  extent. 

There  are  various  pleasant  rides  in  this  neighbourhood, 
particularly  to  two  picturesque  waterfalls  in  Middlefield. 
In  the  direction  of  one  of  them  is  Laurel  Grove,  where 
the  road  is  shaded  for  near  half  a  mile  with  those  shrubs, 
which,  in  the  season,  are  covered  with  flowers.  The  en 
virons  of  this  place  afford  other  agreeable  rides.  There 
are  various  manufactures  carried  on  here. 

The  Lead  Mine  is  about  two  miles  below  the  town  on 
the  south  shore  of  the  river,  accessible  only  on  foot  or  in 
a  boat,  where  are  several  old  shafts,  which  were  sunk  in 
the  revolutionary  war,  in  a  slate  rock.  The  ore  is  sulphu- 
ret  of  lead,  in  veins  of  quartz,  partly  crystallized,  and  af 
fording  a  few  specimens  of  fluate  of  lime,  and  other  mine 
rals. 

The  Cobalt  Mine  is  about  five  miles  east,  in  Chatham, 
at  the  foot  of  Rattle  Snake  Hill.  It  is  not  worth  work 
ing,  at  the  usual  price  of  the  metal.  Specimens  of  peach- 
bloojn  of  Cobalt  may  be  picked  up  among  the  rubbish. 


TOUR  OF   NEW-ENGLAND.  149 

Just  southerly  from  it  is  a  very  pretty  waterfall,  about 
thirty  feet  high. 

WETHERSFIELD,  3  miles  from  Hartford.  This  place 
has  a  fine  light  soil,  on  an  extensive  level,  probably  once 
the  bottom  of  a  lake  since  drained  by  the  deepening  of 
the  river's  channel.  It  is  peculiarly  favourable  to  the  cul 
ture  of  onions^  which  are  exported  in  great  quantities  to 
various  parts  of  the  country,  the  West  Indies,  &c. 

Wethersfield  was  the  second  settlement  made  by  white 
men  in  Connecticut.  In  1635,  three  or  four  men  came  to 
this  place  and  spent  the  winter. 

The  Connecticut  Stats  Prison.  The  situation  of  this 
institution  is  healthy,  retired,  and  convenient  to  the  water 
and  the  great  road.  It  was  completed  in  1817.  What 
have  heretofore  been  regarded  as  the  necessary  evils  of 
prisons,  will  here  be  found  greatly  reduced ;  and,  in  many 
respects,  even  with  regard  to  the  prisoners,  converted  into 
benefits. 

Here  the  Auburn  system  has  been  established  with 
some  few  deviations. 

The  whole  is  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Pilsbury,  a 
man  of  firmness,  judgment  and  humanity.  The  men  are 
brought  out  to  their  work  at  signals  given  by  the  bell. 
They  lodge  in  solitary  cells,  and  are  not  permitted  to  con 
verse  together  while  at  work.  They  take  their  food  in 
their  cells,  and  when  going  to  and  from  work  or  prayers, 
are  obliged  to  march  with  the  lock  step.  No  blows  are 
allowed  to  be  given  by  the  officers  except  in  self-defence. 

The  Smiths'  fires  are  supplied  with  Lehigh  (Pennsyl 
vania)  coal  for  fuel ;  and  part  of  the  heat  is  conducted 
away  in  pipes  to  warm  the  apartments.  The  cells  are 
furnished  with  comfortable  beds  and  bed  clothes,  and  a 
bible  for  each.  They  are  ranged  in  rows,  and  the  keepers 
can  look  into  them  through  grated  doors  ;  at  the  same 
time  the  prisoners  are  not  able  to  converse  with  each 
other.  The  effects  of  evil  communication,  so  much  and  so 
banefully  cherished  in  our  old  prisons,  are  thus  effectually 
prevented.  Neither  officers  nor  convicts  are  allowed  to 
use  ardent  spirits. 

HARTFORD.  Inns.  The  City  Hotel,  Coffee  House, 
&c. 

This  is  the  semi-capital  of  the  state,  and  a  place  of  con 
siderable  business. 


150  HARTFORD. 

The  Charter  Oak.  In  the  lower  part  of  the  town,  in? 
the  street  which  runs  east  from  the  south  church,  is  the 
ancient  and  respectable  seat  of  the  Wyllis  family,  who 
were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Hartford,  and  have  made 
a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  history  of  the  state,  as  well 
as  of  the  town,  by  supplying  the  Secretary's  office  for  a 
long  course  of  time.  This  place  is  now  owned  by  Mr, 
Bulkley,  and  has  undergone  considerable  changes.  The 
principal  object  of  curiosity  here  is,  however,  the  fine  old 
oak,  which  stands  on  the  street  in  front.  It  is  said  to 
have  been  a  forest  tree  before  the  land  was  cleared,  yet 
it  appears  as  firm  and  vigorous  as  ever.  In  a  hole  in  its 
trunk  was  hidden  the  charter  of  the  colony,  when  Sir 
Edmund  Andross  sent  to  demand  it  in  1687  ;  and  there  it 
remained  for  some  years. 

This  interesting  document  is  still  preserved  in  the  office 
of  the  Secretary  of  the  state. 

The  Asylum  for  the  Education  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb 
is  about  a  mile  west  of  the  town,  on  Tower  Hill.  It  was 
the  earliest  institution  of  the  kind  in  America. 

The  principal  bnilding  is  large,  ornamented  with  pilas 
ters,  and  surrounded  by  a  garden  and  pleasant  grounds. 
The  house  of  the  superintendent  is  nearby,  and  the  whole 
enjoys  a  fine  situation  with  a  commanding  prospect  and  a 
healthy  neighbourhood. 

The  number  of  scholars  is  about  130.  Some  of  them 
are  supported  by  a  fund  belonging  to  the  institution,  and 
others  by  the  states  of  Massachusetts,  New-Hampshire, 
&c.  Similar  institutions  exist  in  New-York,  Philadelphia, 
and  Kentucky. 

The  Retreat  for  the  Insane  is  a  little  south  of  the 
city,  and  makes  a  handsome  appearance,  being  a  stone 
building  150  feet  long  and  50  wide,  the  wings  having 
three  stories,  and  the  main  building  four.  It  is  capable 
of  containing  about  fifty  patients,  and  is  warmed  by  flues. 
The  grounds  connected  with  the  institution  include  about 
seventeen  acres. 

Washington  College  is  situated  west  of  the  main  street,- 
in  the  south  part  of  the  town.  It  is  an  Episcopal  insti 
tution,  and  has  two  stone  buildings,  one  for  the  students, 
150  feet  long,  four  stories  high,  with  accommodations  for 
36  pupils  r  and  a  chapel,  which  has  also  rooms  for  recita- 


ROUTE   UP   CONNECTICUT   RIVER,  151 

tlon,  the  library,  &c.  Fourteen  acres  of  land  belong  to 
the  institution,  part  of  which  are  devoted  to  the  garden 
with  its  greenhouse.  There  is  a  fine  stone  bridge  across 
Little  River,  and  a  wooden  one  over  the  Connecticut. 
See  also  the  Statehouse,  and  Young  Men's  Institute. 

[Montevideo,  the  seat  of  Daniel  Wadsworth,  Esq.  en 
joys  a  charming  situation  on  a  mountain  nine  miles  west- 
war  d.J 

Remarks  to  the  Traveller  at  Hartford.  A  railroad 
leads  to  New-Haven,  and  steamboats  to  Springfield  and 
onward.  Stagecoaches  run  on  each  side  of  Connecticut 
river ;  northeast,  to  Boston  ;  east,  to  Providence  ;  south, 
to  New-Haven  and  New-York,  (besides  the  steamboats 
to  the  latter  place;)  west,  to  Litchfield  and  Poughkeep- 
sie;  and  northwest,  to  Albany. 

The  traveller  in  New-England  is  advised  to  take  the 
route  up  Connecticut  River,  which  is  the  most  fertile, 
wealthy,  and  beautiful  tract  of  the  country ;  and  to  return 
by  the  way  of  Boston  and  Providence.  This  is  the  route 
we  propose  to  pursue ;  but  the  traveller  can  vary  from  it 
as  he  pleases.  He  will  find  such  information  as  this  little 
volume  is  able  to  afford  him  by  referring  to  the  index. 

The  fertility  of  the  meadows  in  the  Connecticut  Val 
ley  is  almost  proverbial ;  and  after  what  the  stranger  has 
seen  of  its  banks  at  Middletown  and  Hartford,  he  will 
learn  with  gratification  that  neither  the  soil  nor  the  beauty 
of  the  cultivation  degenerates  for  several  hundred  miles 
northward.  The  whole  country  is  thickly  populated : 
neat  and  beautiful  villages  are  met  with  at  intervals  of  a 
few  miles  ;  and  the  general  intelligence  derived  from  uni 
versal  education  gives  an  elevated  aspect  to  society.  The 
accommodations  for  travellers  are  generally  very  comfort 
able,  and  sometimes  uncommonly  good  and  elegant;  the 
scenery  is  ever  new  and  varying ;  many  places  have  traits 
of  interest  in  their  history;  and  the  communication  is  easy, 
from  many  points  of  the  route,  with  the  principal  places 
on  the  east  and  west.  Besides  all  this,  the  roads  are 
peculiarly  fine,  for  they  generally  run  along  the  river's 
bank,  which  is  almost  without  exception  level  and  pleasant, 
and  formed  of  a  soil  well  fitted  to  the  purpose. 

The  western  side  of  the  river  is  generally  to  be  prefer 
red  ;  but  as  there  are  good  roads  on  both  sides,  and  some 
14 


152  ROUTE   UP    CONNECTICUT   R1VEH. 

villages  and  other  objects  worthy  of  equal  notice  on  the 
eastern  shore,  and  good  ferries  or  bridges  are  to  be  met 
•with  every  few  miles,  it  will  be  agreeable  occasionally 
to  cross  and  re-cross.  Those  who  travel  along  the  course 
of  the  Connecticut  twice,  would  do  well  to  go  up  on  one 
side  and  return  on  the  other.  This  is  the  most  direct 
route  to  the  White  Hills  or  White  Mountains  of  New- 
Hampshire.  Those  who  go  to  Boston  will  take  tho 
Worcester  railroad  at  Springfield. 

WORCESTER  is  one  of  the  finest  villages  in  New-En- 
gland.  The  country  around  it  is  rich  and  variegated,  and 
the  dwellings  have  an  air  of  elegance  which  does  great 
credit  to  the  taste  as  well  as  the  wealth  of  its  inhabitants. 
Brick  is  extensively  used  in  building.  The  court  house/ 
bank,  &c.  stand  on  the  principal  street;  and  east  of  it  the 
county  house  and  the  building  of  the 

American  Historical  Society.  This  is  an  institution 
formed  for  the  truly  important  purpose  of  preserving, 
every  thing  relating  to  the  history,  traditions,  &c.  of  the 
country.  The  State  Lunatic  Asylum,  conducted  on  the 
humane  system  of  moral  treatment,  is  highly  successful. 
Number  of  inmates  in  the  year  1840,  391,  of  whom  162 
were  admitted,  155  discharged,  82  recovered,  29  im 
proved,  29  harmless,  and  15  died. 

The  railroad  leads  east  to  Boston,  and  west  to  Spring- 
fiald,  meeting  that  to  Norwich.  The  Blackstone  Canal 
leads  to  Providence. 

Watchusett  Hills,  16  miles  W.  N.  W.  of  Worcester, 
and  52  W.  by  N.  of  Boston,  are  estimated  at  nearly  3000 
feet  above  the  sea,  and  ascended  by  an  easy  path.  The 
spectator  looks  down  on  a  surrounding  scene  of  wooded 
mountains,  below  which  are  ponds  and  farms,  and  a  view 
over  cultivated  and  inhabited  regions. 

ROUTE  u?  CONNECTICUT  RIVER, 

Leaving  Hartford  in  the  steamboat  for  Springfield. 

[EAST  HARTFORD,  opposite  Hartford,  has  a  sandy  soil, 
but  the  street  as  well  as  that  of  East  Windsor,  next  north 
of  it,  is  shaded  with  rows  of  fine  elms.  The  road  crosses 
Podunk  Brook  by  a  small  bridge,  about  four  miles  from 
Hartford,  on.  the  north  bank  of  which,  on  the  left  hand, 
was  once  the  fort  of  the  powerful  tribe  of  Podunk  Indians, 
who  had  their  settlements  on  this  winding  stream,  and 


ROUTE   UP    CONNECTICUT   RIVER.  153 

come  of  their  broken  implements  are  occasionally  found  in 
the  soil.] 

WINDSOR  was  settled  as  early  as  1635.  A  few  months 
after  the  building  of  the  fort,  (probably  a  blockhouse,)  the 
Dutch  garrison  at  Hartford  made  a  secret  march  against 
it,  ejcpecting  to  take  it  by  surprise ;  but  on  arriving  at  the 
place  they  found  reason  to  give  up  tfyeir  enterprise,  and 
returned  without  firing  a  gun. 

East  Windsor,  on  the  opposite  side  of  Connecticut 
river,  has  a  commanding  situation,  and  is  the  site  of  a 
Presbyterian  Theological  Seminary. 

The  seat  of  the  late  Chief  Justice  Oliver  Ellsworth 
stands  in  Windsor,  on  the  east  side  of  the  street,  nine 
miles  above  Hartford.  It  is  distinguished  by  columns, 
and  surrounded  by  trees.  He  was  born  in  a  house  opposite. 
ENFIELD.  A  Canal  of  6  miles  passes  the  falls. 
SUFFIELD  is  a  very  pleasant  town  about  a  mile  west  of 
the  river,  and  has  a  good  inn,  and  a  mineral  spring  in  its 
vicinity,  which  has  been  the  resort  of  considerable  com 
pany.  The  village  street  runs  along  the  ridge  of  a  long 
and  beautiful  hill,  with  neat  houses  and  white  fences  on 
both  sides,  and  the  home  lots  sloping  east  and  west  to 
wards  the  low  ground.  Some  of  the  houses  are  large  and 
elegant. 

Sujfield  Springs.  About  a  mile  southwest  of  the 
street  is  a  mineral  spring  of  slightly  sulphureous  qualities. 
SPRINGFIELD  is  a  flourishing  town,  standing  at  the  foot 
of  a  high  hill,  the  side  of  which  is  ornamented  with  fine 
buildings,  the  residences  of  some  of  the  wealthier  inhabit 
ants,  and  the  top  occupied  by  the  United  States  Armory. 
This  establishment  occupies  a  large  space  of  ground,  and 
commands  a  fine  view.  The  buildings  containing  the  work 
shops  for  manufacturing  small  arms,  the  arsenal,  barracks, 
&c.  are  surrounded  by  a  high  wall.  The  number  of  work 
men  required,  which  is  aboat  260,  has  a  favourable  effect 
on  the  business  and  prosperity  of  the  place.  About  13000 
muskets  'are  made  here  annually,  or  60  a  day.  The  manu 
factories  on  Mill  River,  a  little  south  of  the  armory,  are 
various  and  well  worthy  of  observation. 

The  town  is  ornamented  with  many  fine  elms  and  other 
treesj;  and  there  are  two  very  handsome  churches.  It 
wa«  oriffinally  considered  within  the  limits  of  Connecticut; 


154  FEMALE   SEMINARY. 

colony,  but  at  length  incorporated  with  Massachusetts. 
A  tribe  of  Indians  lived  for  some  years  on  Fort  Hill ;  but 
being  won  over  to  King  Philip's  party,  in  1675,  they  as 
sumed  a  hostile  air,  fired  upon  some  of  the  inhabitants 
who  were  going  to  their  fort,  and  burnt  a  part  of  the 
town. 

In  1786,  during  the  rebellion  of  Shays,  he  attacked  the 
armory,  at  the  head  of  a  strong  party  of  undisciplined  men. 
General  Shepard,  who  had  command  at  the  place,  attempted 
to  dissuade  them  from  their  attempt,  and  finally  drove  them 
off  by  firing  twice.  The  first  shot,  over  their  heads,  dis 
persed  the  raw  troops,  and  the  second  drove  off  the  re 
mainder,  who,  being  about  two  hundred  revolutionary  sol 
diers,  did  not  desist  until  they  had  lost  a  few  of  their  men. 
"This  was  the  first  check  the  insurrection  received,  which 
was  put  down  without  much  subsequent  trouble. 

Wilbraham,  7  or  8  miles  west  from  Springfield,  con 
tains  a  Wesleyan  Academy. 

West  Springfield  has  a  fine  street,  shaded  with  large 
elms  and  containing  some  handsome  houses.  It  is  26 
miles  from  Hartford,  and  about  17  miles  from  Northamp 
ton.  There  is  a  fine  view  from  the  road  on  the  brow  of  a  hill 
a  little  north  of  the  town,  near  a  church,  which  overlooks 
the  river  and  an  extent  of  country  on  each  side,  with 
Mounts  Tom  and  Holyoke  in  front. 

SOUTH  HADLEY  FALLS.  The  village  and  locks  are  on 
the  east  side  of  the  river. 

The  whole  fall  of  the  river  at  South  Hadley  is  52  feet, 
but  at  the  lower  falls  only  '32.  There  is  a  canal  2£  miles 
long  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  cut  through  a  slate  rock 
for  a  considerable  distance,  and  in  some  places  very  deep. 
The  dam  is  3  feet  high.  There  are  five  locks  near  the 
tavern,  and  one  above.  There  is  a  ferry  here,  which  is 
safe,  but  the  water  runs  very  swiftly. 

South  Hadley.  The  Mount  Holyoke  Female  Semi 
nary,  gives  a  practical  domestic  education  with  intellec 
tual  instruction. 

For  several  miles  before  reaching  Mount  Tom,  the  road 
runs  along  the  bank  of  the  river.  The  river  makes  an 
abrupt  turn  some  miles  above,  running  between  Mount 
Tom  on  the  south  and  Mount  Holyoke  on  the  north ;  and 
when  the  scona  opens  again,  it  discloses  a  charming  and 


RtftfTE  HP   CONNECTICUT  HIVEfc.  155 

^xtcnsive  plain,  formed  of  the  meadows  on  the  river's 
bank,  and  evidently  once  the  site  of  a  large  lake,  when  the 
water  was  restrained  by  the  barrier  between  the  mountains. 
This  plain  is  one  of  the  richest,  and  by  far  the  most  exten- 
"sive  and  beautiful  on  the  river. 

Northampton  is  situated  at  the  western  s'.de  of  the 
plain,  a  mile  from  the  river,  and  is  a  favourite  place  of  re 
sort  for  travellers ;  as  it  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the 
New-England  villages,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  charming 
country,  and  lies  near  to  Mount  Holyoke,  which  com 
mands  a  view  of  the  whole.  The  streets  are  irregular, 
•but  some  of  them  shady  and  delightful  in  summer,  being 
also  ornamented  with  many  neat  houses.  It  is  a  place 
of  considerable  business  ;  and  the  soil  makes  valuable 
farms. 

Round  Hill  is  a  beautiful  eminence  just  west  of  the 
town. 

On  the  eastern  declivity  of  the  hill  stands  the  house  of 
the  Stoddard  family,  an  ancestor  of  which  was  a  man  of 
great  talents  and  influence  in  this  part  of  the  country.  In 
King-street,  towards  the  northeast  from  that  spot,  stood 
the  house  in  which  President  Edwards,  Sen.  lived,  Presi 
dent  Edwards,  Jun.  and  Dr.  Dwight  were  born,  and  David 
Brainerd  died.  On  the  east  side  of  the  main  street,  just 
south  of  the  brook,  is  the  house  of  the  late  Governor 
Strong. 

The  Lead  Mine.  In  Southampton,  at  the  distance  of  8 
miles  from  this  place,  is  a  lead  mine. 

MOUNT  HOLYOKE.— The  height  is  said  to  be  800  feet ; 
and  there  is  a  good  carriage  road  the  greater  part  of  the 
way  up.  View  from  the  top  : 

Southeast.  The  country  is  undulating,  and  the  soil 
generally  poor;  yet  several  villages  are  discovered  at  a 
distance,  particularly  South  Hadley,  which  lies  immediate 
ly  below.  Southwardly  is  seen  Connecticut  river,  retiring 
under  the  shade  of  Mount  Tom,  whitened  below  by  the 
South  Hadley  Falls ;  beyond  which  is  the  hill  at  Spring 
field.  The  river  makes  several  turns,  and  on  the  horizon 
are  two  very  distant  peaks,  which  are  supposed  to  be  East 
and  West  Rocks  at  New-Haven,  about  70  miles  distant. 

Northeast  is  seen  Monadnoc  Mountain,  in  New-Hamp 
shire. 

14* 


156  VIEW   *KOH   MOUNT   HOLYOKE. 

North,  you  lookup  the  charming  valley  of  the  Connect!* 
cut;  bordered  by  distant  ranges  of  hills  and  mountains, 
varied  by  a  few  isolated  peaks,  covered  with  the  richest 
coat  of  vegetation,  and  scattered  with  villages  and  innu 
merable  farm  houses.  The  river  makes  a  beautiful  serpen 
tine  course  ;  from  where  it  first  appears  at  the  foot  of  Su 
gar  Loaf  Mountain,  and  Mount  Toby,  until  it  reaches  the 
village  of  Hadley,  which  lies  in  full  view;  and  then  taking 
a  bold  sweep  to  the  west,  and  flowing  4£  miles,  it  returns 
to  the  end  of  that  village,  only  a  mile  distant  from  where 
it  first  meets  it.  The  whole  peninsula  is  rich  and  fertile, 
and  covered  with  cultivated  fields  of  wheat,  corn,  grass, 
&c.  without  being  disfigured  by  fences,  according  to  the 
custom  prevalent  hereabouts  ;  and  is  the  richest  sight  upon 
the  river,  particularly  when  viewed  in  connexion  with  the 
scene  immediately  below,  where  the  river  flows  on,  almost 
under  our  feet,  and  the  western  shore  presents  the  exten 
sive  Northampton  Meadows,  a  mile  wide.  Following  the 
current  with  the  eye,  in  the 

West-souih-west,  it  forms  a  still  more  remarkable  penin 
sula,  although  one  of  inferior  size ;  the  Hockanum  Bend, 
being  a  turn  measuring  3^  miles  in  circuit,  while  the  isth 
mus  was  only  46  rods  across,  or  150  yards.  This  has  been 
cut  through  by  a  flood.  In  the  compass  of  this  view,  from 
the  north  to  the  west  and  south,  numerous  village  spires 
are  seen,  with  level  fields,  orchards,  and  gardens,  almost 
without  number ;  and  the  whole  scene  is  bounded  with 
mountainous  ridges. 

Northampton  is  seen  about  west  northwest,  with 
Round  Hill;  and  towards  the  right,  the  top  of  Saddle 
Mountain,  in  the  distance.  There  are  also  others  still 
further  north,  particularly  Haystack  and  Bare  Mountain. 

More  than  30  church  steeples  may  be  counted  here  by 
taking  advantage  of  different  kinds  of  weather. 

In  point  of  history,  that  part  of  the  Connecticut  Valley 
immediately  under  the  eye,  belongs  to  the  third  division 
of  settlements,  calling  Plymouth  and  Massachusetts  Bay 
the  first  ;  Windsor,  Hartford,  Wethersfield,  &e.  the  se 
cond.  Northampton,  Hadley,  and  Hatfiekl,  were  settled 
in  1653,  and  remained  the  frontier  posts  in  this  direction 
till  after  Philip's  war,  during  which  they  suffered  severely 
from  constant  alarms,  and  the  loss  of  inhabitants.  The 


ROUTE    UP    CONNECTICUT   RIVER.  157 

Indians  who  had  sold  the  lands  on  which  the  towns  were 
built,  had  each  a  spot  as  signed  them  within  a  short  dis 
tance  of  the  palisades  with  which  the  new  settlements 
were  surrounded,  and  lived  in  peace  and  good  faith  until 
excited  by  Philip ;  after  which  all  the  towns  were  at  dif 
ferent  times  attacked  by  them,  and  some  of  them  repeat 
edly.  During  the  French  wars,  on  May  13th,  1704,  the 
Indians  fell  upon  a  little  settlement  at  the  foot  of  Mount 
Torn,  and  killed  20  persons,  more  than  half  of  whom 
were  children  ;  and  a  tradition  stales,  though  without  de 
signating  the  precise  time,  that  a  captive  woman  was  once 
brought  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  where  we  stand,  and 
scalped. 

Hadley  was  attacked  by  the  Indians  while  the  inhabit 
ants  were  at  church,  and  was  near  falling  into  their 
hands,  when  a  stranger,  a  venerable  old  man,  made  his 
appearance,  and  by  his  active  resistance,  encouraged  them 
to  repel  the  enemy.  It  was  not  known  at  the  time  who 
he  was,  or  whither  he  went ;  but  there  is  now  little  doubt 
that  he  was  Goffe,  one  of  King  Charles's  judges,  who 
was  secreted  for  a  length  of  time  in  this  town,  and  oH 
whom  we  have  already  had  occasion  to  speak  at  New- 
Haven.  The  remains  of  his  coffin,  it  is  believed,  were 
discovered  a  few  years  since,  in  the  cellar  wall  of  a  house 
near  the  present  academy,  which  was  formerly  inhabited 
by  one  of  his  friends. 

HATFIELD,  one  mile  further,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river,  is  much  devoted  to  the  wintering  of  cattle  raised 
on  the  neighbouring  hilly  country.  The  grass  is  very 
fine,  and  the  barns  are  large  ;  which,  with  the  appear 
ance  of  the  houses,  give  the  place  an  air  of  substantial 
agricultural  wealth.  The  cattle  are  bought,  stabled,  and 
fatted. 

AMHERST  is  'situated  on  elevated  ground,  5  miles  from 
Hadley ;  and  off  the  river  towards  the  northeast. 

AMHERST  COLLEGE  ranks  among  the  most  respectable 
in  New-England.  The  situation  occupied  by  the  build 
ings  is  pleasant,  commanding  a  rich,  extensive  and  varied 
view,  partly  over  the  meadows  of  Connecticut  River, 
with  mountains  particularly  mentioned  a  few  pages  back, 
seen  in  different  directions.  The  retired  situation  is 


highly  favourable  to  study  and  good  ojder,  as  its 
and  pure  air  are  conducive  to  health.  The  number  of 
students  in  1840  was  about  250.  The  president,  Dr. 
Humphries,  is  also  professor  of  mental  and  moral  Philo* 
sophy  arid  Divinity.  There  are  six  other  professors,  and 
a  teacher  of  French  and  Spanifh,  a  teacher  of  mathema 
tics,  and  a  tutor  of  Latin  and  Greek. 

The  SUGAR  LOAF  is  an  isolated  hill  of  a  conical  form, 
rising  in  front  as  we  proceed.  Deerfield  lies  north  of  it 
about  3  miles  ;  and  the  way  by  which  we  approach  it,  lies 
nearly  along  the  old  road  which  led  thither  through  the 
wilderness,  in  1675,  when  it  was  deserted  by  the  settlers; 
and  Capt.  Lothrop  was  despatched,  with  a  body  of  80 
soldiers  and  wagoners,  to  bring  off  the  grain.  At  the 
foot  of  this  mountain  is  the  small  village  of  Bloody  Brook) 
and  near  the  spot  where  a  bridge  crosses  the  stream,  Capt. 
Lothrop  was  ambushed  by  about  800  Indians.  The  place 
was  then  a  marshy  piece  of  ground  ;  and  some  traces  of 
the  road,  which  was  formed  of  logs,  are  still  to  be  seen> 
running  through  the  fields  without  crossing  at  the  bridge. 
The  convoy  halted  at  this  place;  and  the  soldiers  were 
generally  engaged  in  gathering  grapes  from  the  vines 
which  ran  on  the  trees,  having  left  their  muskets  on  the 
ground,  when  the  Indians  fired  upon  them.  Capt.  Lo» 
ihrop  gave  orders  that  the  men  should  disperse,  and  fire 
from  behind  the  trees;  but  they  were  all  cut  off  except  8 
or  10.  This  massacre  was  one  of  the  most  calamitous 
which  ever  occurred  in  New  England,  taken  into  view 
with  the  small  number  of  inhabitants  at  the  time  :  as  the 
company  consisted  of  young  men,  from  the  principal  fa^ 
riiilies  in  the  eastern  towns. 

That  part  of  the  meadow  we  pass  through  in  approach 
ing  Doerfield  was  the  scene  of  several  skirmishes  with 
the  Indians  at  different  times,  as  the  place  was  a  fron 
tier  for  many  years,  although  it  was  twice  burned  and  de 
serted. 

DEERFIELD.  In  1704,  which  was  the  period  of  its  last 
destruction,  a  large  body  of  Indians,  led  on  by  a  few 
Frenchmen  from  Canada,  came  upon  the  town  before 
daylight.  It  was  winter,  and  the  snow  crust  was  strong 
enough  to  bear  them  ;  they  had  secreted  themselves  on  a 


ROUTE   UP   CONNECTICUT   RIVER.  159 

hill  northwest  from  Deerfield,  and  sent  in  a  scout.  The 
houses  were  all  entered  but  one,  the  inhabitants  made 
captives,  and  all,  except  a  few,  taken  off  to  Canada.  One 
of  the  houses  is  standing  at  this  day,  a  little  north  of  the 
church. 

A  house  next  this  was  valiantly  defended  by  seven 
men;  and  the  dwelling  of  Mr.  Williams,  the  minister, 
was  taken,  and  he  and  his  family  carried  to  Canada. 
Most  of  the  people  were  ransomed  ;  but  a  daughter  of 
Mr.  W.  became  attached  to  the  savage  life,  married  a 
chief,  and  left  children.  Mr.  Williams,  missionary  to  the 
Indians  at  Green  Bay,  was  one  of  her  descendants- 
Some  marks  of  the  old  picquet  may  be  traced  in  the 
rear  of  the  house,  which  is  supposed  to  present  the  same 
appearance  as  in  old  time,  excepting  that  the  kitchen,  &c. 
have  since  been  built,  and  the  front  and  rear  have  been 
covered.  There  is  an  academy  in  this  town. 

East  from  this  place  are  several  spurs  projecting  from 
the  hill,  on  one  of  which  was  formerly  a  fort,  for  the  pro 
tection  of  the  Deerfield  Indians  against  the  Mohawks. 

GREENFIELD,  3  miles.  Here  the  stagecoach  passes  on 
a  road  from  Boston  to  Albany.  The  country  west  is  highly 
picturesque. 

[TURNER'S  FALLS  are  on  Connecticut  river,  two  or 
three  miles  east  from  Greenfield.  Philip,  having  been 
driven  from  the  seacoast  and  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
English  settlements,  in  1676,  by  the  active  operations  of 
Capt.  Church,  Capt.  Moseley,  Capt.  Wheeler,  &c.  retired 
with  some  of  his  followers  to  the  Northfield  Indians,  who 
held  a  position  on  a  sandy  hill,  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
river.  Here  he  was  attacked  in  the  night  by  Capt.  Tur 
ner.  The  Indians  had  held  a  feast  that  night,  as  some  of 
their  captives  afterwards  reported,  and  were  generally 
asleep,  so  that  the  attack  of  the  white  men  gave  them  a 
panic,  and  they  fled  to  their  boats,  which  they  launched  in 
such  haste,  that  many  forgot  their  paddles,  and  were  car 
ried  over  the  falls.  The  rest,  however,  rallied  before  their 
enemies  were  out  of  their  reach,  and  being  joined  by  some 
from  the  island  below  the  falls,  pursued  and  harassed  them 
about  ten  miles,  to  Deerfield.  Bones  are  occasionally 
dug  up  near  the  spot,  and  a  few  years  ago  the  remains  of 


ICO  BELLOWS'  FALLS. 

an  old  musket,  a  few  silver  coins,  &c.  were  discovered 
among  the  rocks. 

This  was  the  last  and  most  severe  blow  Philip  received 
before  he  returned  to  his  native  country  in  Rhode  Island, 
where  he  soon  after  terminated  his  dangerous  life,  and  the 
war,  which  brought  so  many  calamities  upon  New-England. 

The  Canal.  A  dam  of  great  height  is  built  at  the  falls, 
to  supply  a  canal,  which  extends  two  or  three  miles  for 
boats  and  rafts.  Some  nulls  are  also  established  on  the 
river's  bank.  The  fall  is  divided  by  two  rude  rocks,  be 
tween  which  the  water  rushes  in  separate  cataracts  ;  and 
the  scenery  below  is  wild,  and  not  a  little  imposing.  There 
is,  however,  no  inn  nearer  than  Greenfield. 

VEUNON.  Within  the  limits  of  this  township,  which  is 
the  first  in  Vermont,  was  once  Fort  Dummer,  one  of  a 
chain  of  forts,  built  for  the  protection  of  the  country 
against  the  Canadian  Indians.  The  place  for  some  years 
was  known  on  the  river,  by  the  name  of  Number  One,  be 
ing  the  first  of  four  townships. 

Passing  through  a  pretty  village,  with  several  mills, 
after  a  few  miles,  we  approach  Battleborough,  south  of 
which,  east  of  the  road,  is  a  quarry,  which  furnishes  a 
large  quantity  of  slate  ;  where  may  be  seen  the  mode  of 
quarrying,  splitting,  shaping,  and  packing  it  for  transpor 
tation. 

BRATTLEBOROUGH  is  a  very  pleasant  village,  situated  on 
an  elevated  plain  above  the  river,  which,  since  the  draining 
of  the  old  lake  in  this  place,  has  made  two  or  three  suc 
cessive  arches  north  of  the  town,  as  it  has  gradually  low 
ered  its  channel  to  the  present  level.  At  the  bridge, 
over  a  small  stream,  are  several  manufactories;  and  in 
the  village  is  a  large  and  comfortable  stage  house,  whence 
coaches  go  to  Boston,  as  well  as  west,  north,  and  south. 

WESTMINSTER.  This  is  on  a  fine,  extensive  level ;  and 
on  the  high  land,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  is 

WALPOLE.  Connecticut  River  being  the  dividing  line 
between  the  two  adjacent  states,  Walpole  is  in  New- 
Hampshire.  The  situation  is  very  commanding,  and  the 
summit  of  the  hill,  above  the  village,  affords  a  view  of  un 
usual  extent  and  beauty. 

BELLOWS'  FALLS.      The  height  of  this  fall  is  incon* 


ROUTE   UP   CONNECTICUT  RIVER.  1$1 

slderable,  but  it  is  on  the  whole  a  striking  object;  sur 
rounded  by  rocky  banks,  and  having  an  abrupt  mountain 
on  the  eastern  side.  The  place  has  also  been  much  orna 
mented  by  art :  for,  besides  the  village,  with  it*  neat  white 
houses  and  handsome  church,  a  canal  has  been  dug  round 
the  falls,  a  bridge  thrown  over  them,  and  the  rugged  side 
of  the  mountain  decorated  with  a  handsome  country  seat. 

The  rocks  are  of  the  most  firm  and  solid  gray  granite, 
but  are  much  cut  by  the  force  of  the  current.  In  some 
places  holes  have  been  bored  into  them  perpendicularly,, 
two  or  three  feet  in  diameter,  and  twelve  or  even  eighteen 
feet  deep.  This  is  done  by  the  motion  given  to  loose 
stones  by  the  eddies  of  the  stream,  and  the  gradual  en 
largement  of  the  bore  sometimes  breaks  off  great  masses 
of  the  rock.  These  falls  were  once  the  favourite  resort 
of  Indians  during  the  fishing  season.  On  the  rock  just 
below  the  bridge,  are  some  remains  of  their  rude  attempts 
at  sculpture,  which  represent  the  form  of  human  faces ; 
and  from  one  on  the  end  of  the  stone,  which  appears  to 
have  suffered  less  from  the  attrition  of  the  floods  it  would 
seem  as  if  they  might  once  have  been  more  finished  spe 
cimens  of  sculpture  than  they  now  appear,  as  that  pre 
sents  considerable  prominency  and  beauty  of  execution. 

CHARLESTOWN.  This  is  one  of  the  prettiest  little  vil 
lages  in  New-England  :  having  a  wide  street,  partly  shaded 
with  trees,  and  lined  with  neat  houses. 

This  was  called  township  No.  4.  The  fort,  built  for 
the  defence  of  the  place  in  1743,  stood  on  the, gently 
rising  ground  a  little  south  of  the  church,  where  the  street 
runs.  It  was  most  gallantly  defended  by  Capt.  Stevens,  in 
1747,  against  a  large  number  of  French  and  Indians  :  al 
though  repeatedly  called  upon  to  surrender,  the  garrison 
persisted  in  the  defence,  digging  into  the  ground  to  shelter 
themselves  from  the  enemy's  fire,  and,  after  several  days, 
succeeded  in  driving  them  away.  Captain  S.  received  a 
sword  for  his  bravery. 

Jarvis's  Farm  at  Wethersfield  Bow,  on  the  west  side 
of  the  river,  is  very  extensive,  and  contains  a  number  oi' 
large  buildings  for  dwellings,  barns,  stables,  &c.  princi 
pally  of  brick. 

The  road  beyond  affords  some  romantic  scenes.  Th® 
hills  approach  the  river  very  nearly,  and  several  view* 


t$2  ROYALTON.. 

are  caught  between  them,  of  the  mountain  behind  Wind 
sor,  which  is  about  2,000  feet  in  height,  and  divided  into 
three  peaks,  whence,  it  is  said,  it  derived  the  name  of 
Ascutney,  which,  in  the  Indian  language,  means  Three 
Brothers. 

WINDSOR  is  a  fine  and  flourishing  town,  in  a  very  pic 
turesque  situation)  particularly  when  viewed  from  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river ;  and  contains  a  good  stagehouse, 
a  number  of  stores,  some  elegant  houses,  two  or  three 
handsome  churches,  and  the  STATE  PRISON. 

MOUNT  ASCUTNEY.  A  great  part  of  the  way  up  this 
mountain  a  road  has  been  cut,  and  the  traveller  will  be 
richly  rewarded  for  the  labour  of  the  ascent. 

THE  GULF  ROAD,  Those  who  are  going  westward 
from  this  part  of  the  river,  are  counselled  to  take  the 
Gulf  Road  to  Burlington,  on  Lake  Champlain,  to  which  a 
stagecoach  runs.  Although  the  route  is  through  the  chain 
of  the  Green  Mountains,  the  way  is  remarkably  smooth 
and  easy,  following  the  courses  of  the  White  and  Onion 
Rivers,  which  have  cut  deep  channels  through  the  rocks'. 
You  have,  however,  first  to  go  sixteen  miles  along  the 
western  bank  of  the  Connecticut  to 

WHITE  RIVER.  Here  great  quantities  of  lumber  are 
brought  down,  sawed  on  the  stream,  and  sent  by  the  Con 
necticut  in  rafts  to  the  country  below.  Dartmouth  Col 
lege,  at  Hanover,  is  five  miles  north,  and  those  who  are 
going  to  the  White  Mountains,  will  of  course  pursue  that 
route  ;  ^see  p.  164  ;)  but  the  following  deviation  is  made 
for  those  who  are  going  to  Lake  Champlain. 

The  road  up  the  White  River  lies  along  the  north 
bank,  and  passes  through  several  beautiful  and  flourish 
ing  villages.  This  was  one  of  the  courses  formerly  chosen 
by  the  Indians  of  the  north  in  their  commerce  with  those 
on  the  borders  of  that  river,  before  the  arrival  of  Euro 
peans  ;  and,  with  the  exception  of  a  short  portage,  between 
the  White  and  Onion  Rivers,  they  brought  their  furs  from 
Canada,  by  water.  During  the  Indian  and  French  wars, 
this  route  was  frequently  used  for  more  hostile  purposes ; 
and  captives  were  taken  from  these  settlements  so  late  as 
the  revolutionary  war.  The  scenery  is  interesting  and 
various  all  along  the  route. 

ROY  ALTON,  a  pretty  village.     This  place  was  burnt, 


ROUTE   UP    CONNECTICUT    RIVER.  1(J3 

Oct.  16th,  1781,  by  300  men,  principally  Indians,  who 
came  down  from  Canada.  They  killed  two  men  and  took 
away  six  prisoners  to  Montreal. 

RANDOLPH  is  considered  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
towns  in  Vermont,  and  a  stagecoach  likewise  passes  that 
way. 

GULF.  The  entrance  of  this  remarkable  passage  from 
the  east,  is  under  the  brow  of  an  abrupt  mountain,  where 
a  branch  of  White  River  flows  along  by  the  road  in  a 
gentle  current. 

The  Gulf  road  extends  six  miles,  and  the  ground  is  so 
level  that  it  has  been  proposed  to  make  it  the  course  of 
a  canal.  On  the  height  of  land  is  a  pond,  from  which 
flows  a  stream  into  the  valley.  Part  of  it  joins  the  White 
River,  and  part  the  Onion  River. 

MONTPELIER  is  the  capital  of  Vermont,  and  a  very 
pretty  town.  It  contains  the  State  House,  a  Court  House, 
an  Academy,  and  other  public  buildings  * 

From  Montpelier  to  Burlington,  the  road  pursues  the 
course  of  Onion  River  nearly  the  whole  distance,  and 
affords  a  succession  of  hilly  and  mountainous  scenery, 
such  as  is  characteristic  of  the  state. 

On  the  road  from  Montpelier  are  two  remarkable 
waterfalls,  in  the  Onion  River.  They  are  so  near  the 

*  HISTORY  or  THE  STATE.— The  first  discovery  of  Vermont, 
was  made  in  1609,  by  Samuel  Champlain,  who,  after  establishing1 
a  colony  at  Quebec,  proceeding  up  the  rivers  St.  Lawrence  and 
Borel,  explored  and  gave  his  own  name  to  the  lake  which  washes 
the  western  part  of  the  state.  In  1724,  the  government  of  Massa 
chusetts  erected  Fort  Dummer,  in  the  town  of  Brattleborough,  on 
Connecticut  river.  The  first  settlement  in  the  western  part  of  the 
state  was  commenced  by  the  French  in  1731,  in  the  town  of  Addi- 
son,  and  at  the  same  time  they  erected  a  fort  at  Crown  Point. 
The  government  of  New-Hampshire  began  to  make  grants  of 
Townships  within  the  present  limits  of  Vermont  in  1749,  at  which 
time  the  settlement  of  Bennington  was  commenced,  and  at  the 
same  time  a  violent  controversy  ensued  between  the  New-Hamp 
shire  grants,  and  the  province  of  New-York.  The  first  conveu- 
tion  of  the  state  met  at  Dorset,  in  1776,  and  the  first  constitution 
was  adopted  by  a  convention  assembled  at  Windsor  in  July,  1777, 
but  the  organization  of  the  government  did  not  take  place  until 
March,  1778. 

The  difficulties  between  Vermont  and  New-York  were  amicably 
settled  in  1790,  and  the  next  year  she  was  admitted  into  the  con 
federacy  of  the  states. 

15 


164  DARTMOUTH   COLLEGE. 

toad  that  they  will  be  heard  in  passing,  and  seen  by  tdk 
ing  a  few  steps. 

BURLINGTON  is  a  large  and  beautiful  town,  and  en" 
joys  one  of  the  finest  situations  on  Lake  Champlain* 
The  ridge  of  the  hill,  on  the  declivity  of  which  it  is  built^ 
commands  an  extensive  view  upon  the  lake,  with  the 
numerous  mountains  which  border  its  western  shores, 
and  a  large  expanse  of  water  on  the  right  and  left.  Im-1 
mediately  below  is  the  bay,  bounded  by  high  land:  and 
the  elegant  dwellings  and  beautiful  gardens  of  the  more* 
wealthy  inhabitants,  ornament  the  foreground. 

The  Steamboats  stop  here  on  their  way  to  Whitehall 
and  St.  John's  (the  route  to  Montreal;)  and  the  traveller 
is  referred  to  pages  107  and  103,  99,  and  137  for  the  objects 
on  the  lake  in  those  directions.  [Returning  to  the  Con* 
necMcut  river. ] 

HANOVER.  This  village,  21  miles  above  Windsor,  is 
remarkable  as  the  seat  of  Dartmouth  College,  an  institu-> 
tion  which  holds  a  very  respectable  rank  for  learning  arid 
influence,  the  number  of  its  pupils,  and  the  ability  of  its 
officers.  It  was  founded  for  the  education  of  Indians,  and 
was  named  after  William,  Earl  of  Dartmouth.  It  posses 
ses  a  large  tract  of  land,  which  was  long  unproductive ; 
and  the  college  building,  which  is  large  and  inhabited  by 
the  students,  has  a  fine  aspect.  Several  of  the  houses 
about  the  green  are  very  neat,  and  the  ground  being  elevat 
ed,  the  place  is  very  pleasant. 

The  Medical  Institution,  is  a  brick  building,  a  little 
north  from  the  square. 

The  road  between  Hanover  and  Haverhill,  18  miles, 
presents  few  objects  of  much  interest;  the  country  not 
being  thickly  populated,  and  no  villages  intervening,  ex 
cept  one,  which  has  several  very  neat  houses. 

The  Strafford  Copperas  Works  are  nine  miles  north  of 
Norwich.  One  of  the  buildings  is  267  feet  long.  The  ore 
is  pyrites,  taken  from  a  stratum  in  a  hill,  overlaid  by  a 
crust  of  a  ferruginous  earth  containing  petrified  leaves, 
&c.  The  ore  is  broken  and  thrown  into  heaps,  for  about 
two  months,  when  it  gradually  undergoes  a  chemical 
change,  emitting  a  spontaneous  fire  and  fumes  of  sulphur. 
It  is  then  leached  in  tubs,  and  the  water,  after  boiling, 
yields  crystals  of  copperas,  of  a  rhombic'  form  and  a  beau- 


ROUTE   UP    CONNECTICUT   RIVER.  165 

tiful  green  colour.  The  manufactories  produce  about 
10,000  tons  annually. 

HAVEHHILL.  There  are  three  villages  in  this  town,  but 
the  northern  one  is  where  the  Boston  road  comes  in,  and 
where  there  are  two  good  inns.  The  situation  is  elevated 
and  overlooks  the  meadows  for  some  distance.  The  distant 
scenery  is  here  very  fine,  as  Moosehillock  Mountain  and 
several  others  are  in  plain  view,  and  serve  as  an  intro 
duction  to  the  White  Mountains,  which  we  are  ap 
proaching. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  is  Piermont,  where  is 
a  Sulphur  Spring  of  some  local  celebrity,  with  a  building 
for  baths. 

The  Great  Ox-bow  is  a  meadow  containing  about  500 
acres,  lying  in  the  town  of  Piermont  on  the  western  bank, 
and  in  the  form  of  a  crescent.  The  soil  is  fine  and  valu 
able  ;  but  from  the  comparatively  small  extent  of  the 
meadow,  it  cannot  be  compared  with  that  of  Hadley. 

From  Bath  to  the  White  Mountains,  there  are  two 
roads,  one  of  which  turns  off  through  Lisbon,  Bethlehem, 
Breton  Woods,  Nash  and  Sawyer's  Patent,  and  Shad- 
bourn  and  Hart's  Patent.  [See  Index.'] 

Such  is  the  wildness  of  the  country,  that  we  can  do 
little  more  than  enumerate  the  places.  The  road  is  new, 
in  many  places  rocky,  and  in  others  rough,  on  account  of 
the  logs  which  have  been  laid  down  to  support  it,  and 
the  remains  of  the  stumps  of  trees.  But  it  is  more  di 
rect  and  much  less  mountainous,  than  that  which  passes 
through  Lancaster.  It  does  not  however  affoi'd  that  fine 
view  of  the  Connecticut  Valley,  nor  of  the  ranges  of 
mountains  which  there  surround  it,  like  a  magnificent 
amphitheatre. 

FRANCONIA.  This  is  a  secluded  village  among  the 
mountains,  where  iron  is  manufactured  to  a  considerable 
extent.  It  is  at  the  foot  of  Haystack  Mountain,  which  is 
about  half  way  between  Mount  Washington  and  Moose- 
hillock — 20  miles  from  each. 

The  Haystack  may  be  qscended  by  any  traveller  dis 
posed  for  arduous  enterprises  of  this  description  :  but  it  is 
not  recommended  in  preference  to  the  ascent  of  Mount 
Washington,  which  is  rather  less  difficult.  A  foot  path 
off  from  the  road  about  6  miles  from  Franconia, 


166  NKW-LONDOIf. 

which  conducts  to  the  summit,  3  miles.  The  first  two 
miles  are  through  thick  hemlocks,  hacmetac,  spruce,  &c. 
then  |  mile  stunted  trees,  and  the  rest  bare  rocks.  Near 
the  spot  where  the  path  begins  is  a  remarkable  Lusus 
Nature,  formed  by  a  rock  on  the  side  of  a  mountain, 
which  bears  a  resemblance  to  the  human  face  in  profile. 
The  forest  shrubbery  extends  to  the  margin  of  the  bare 
rocks  much  in  the  proportion  of  the  bust  of  a  man.  It 
is  called  the  "  Old  Man  of  the  Mountain."  The  preci 
pice  is  600  or  1000  feet  high,  and  rises  from  the  side  of  a 
pond,  which  is  a  source  of  the  Pemigewasset  river.  The 
neighbouring  region  is  so  mountainous,  that  more  than 
fifty  peaks,  it  is  said,  may  be  counted  from  the  top  of  the- 
Haystack.  Indeed  the  view  from  that  eminem-e  embraces 
nothing  but  mountains,  with  here  and  there  a  cleared  spot 
on  the  Plymouth  road,  and  numerous  marks  of  slides  or 
avalanches  made  by  the  inundation  in  1826. 

LANCASTER  is  a  very  pleasant  town,  and  the  last  on  the 
river  which  merits  that  name.  The  surrounding  moun 
tains  form  a  noble  scene,  superior  to  every  other  of  this 
nature  along  its  course. 

The  Canada  line  is  only  40  miles  north,  and  lies  along 
the  Pomicotiunt.  The  following  are  the  towns  :  North 
umberland,  Stratford,  Columbia,  Colebrook,  and,  the  last 
stage,  Stewartstown. 

[Having  now  completed  the  route  up  Connecticut  River, 
we  return  to  Long  Island  Sound.  For  other  routes  and 
places,  see  Index.] 

NEW-LONDON,  CONNECTICUT. 

Entering  New-London  Harbour,  (in  a  New-York  steam 
boat,)  on  the  left  is  the  Light  House. 

Fort  Trumbull  occupies  a  point  beyond,  and  is  garri 
soned  by  the  United  States.  It  was  taken  in  the  revolu 
tionary  war,  as  well  as  the  town,  and  Fort  Griswold, 
which  stands  on  the  high  hill  opposite.  Looking  Up  tho 
River  Thames,  the  prospect  is  handsome,  the  banks  be 
ing  high  and  cultivated,  arid  backed  by  Horton's  Hill 
several  miles  distant,  in  the  Mohegan  country. 

Steamboals  touch  here  daily  for  New- York  and  Nor« 
wich.  At  Norwich  you  take  the  railroad.  See  p,  169. 


ROUTE   PROM    NEW- YORK   TO   COSlOtf.  1C7 

The  Harbour  of  New-London  is  one  of  the  most  ac» 
Cessible,  safe  and  commodious  in  the  United  States,  lying- 
Hear  the  Ocean  and  the  Sound,  almost  surrounded  by  high 
land,  and  having  water  enough  for  ships  of  war  quite  up 
to  the  wharves,  with  a  fine  sandy  bottom  near  the  shores. 

New-London  is  the  third  town  in  Connecticut  for  the 
number  of  inhabitants.  It  is  situated  irregularly;  princi 
pally  at  the  foot  of  a  hill  facing  the  east,  and  wears  an 
appearance  of  decline  ;  but  some  of  the  houses  are  hand-1 
some,  and  there  are  several  fine  situations  near  the  top  of 
the  hill. 

There  is  a  road  hence  to  Providence,  and  another  from 
Norwich)  (13  miles  up  the  Thames,)  both  equally  unin* 
teresting,  and  nearly  of  equal  length.  The  river,  how 
ever,  affords  some  very  pretty  scenes^  and  Norwich  is  a 
neat  and  interesting  towm 

Fort  Griswold,  opposite  New-London j  was  garrisoned 
by  a  few  continental  troops  in  the  year  1781,  in  the  revo 
lution,  vVhen  Benedict  Arnold,  after  his  treacherous  deser 
tion  of  the  American  cause,  appeared  off  the  harbour  with 
a  British  force  on  the  6th  of  September  j  and  landing  800 
men  on  each  point  of  the  harbour,  marched  up  and  took 
Fort  Trumbull,  and  burnt  the  town.  Col.  Eyre,  who  com 
manded  the  troops  on  the  eastern  shore,  proceeded  to 
wards  Fort  Griswold,  and  sending  in  a  flag  of  truce,  de-- 
manded  a  surrender* 

But  before  this  time,  Col.  Ledyard  had  entered  the 
fort,  and  garrisoned  it  with  120  men,  chiefly  militia  volun 
teer's  from  the  neighbourhood.  The  British  troops  had 
advanced  under  covei*  of  a  wood,  and  invested  the  fort } 
but  the  Americans  defended  themselves  for  some  time, 
beating  off  their  enemies  once,  and  finally  surrendered, 
when  resistance  Would  have  been  entirely  useless.  The? 
enemy  had  lost  41  officers  and  men,  who  were  buiied  near 
the  spot;  with  Col.  Eyre,  the  commander,  wounded, 
and  Major  Montgomery  killed.  After  the  surrender,  how 
ever,  a  massacre  of  the  prisoners  took  place,  which  cast 
the  deepest  disgrace  on  the  expedition  '  70  officers  and. 
men  being  the  victims,  most  of  whom  were  heads  of  fami 
lies.  Many  of  the  wounded  were  also  treated  in  a  most 
barbarous  manner,  being  placed  in  a  cart,  and  rolled  down 
the  hill  just  south  of  the  present  road  to  the  fort.  The 

15* 


5.68 

event  has  been  commemorated  by  building  by  subscription 
a  monument  on  the  spot. 

Fort  Hill  is  a  commanding  eminence,  about  4  miles 
east  from  N.  London,  and  derives  its  name  from  aPequod 
fort,  which  formerly  occupied  its  summit.  The  road 
crosses  it  near  the  southern  limit  of  the  fort,  and  a  small 
church  stands  a  quarter  of  a  mile  above,  within  the  exten* 
sive  space  once  enclosed  by  that  palisaded  work.  It  was 
the  great  fortress  of  the  terrible  Pequod  nation,  which 
makes  a  very  conspicuous  figure  in  the  early  history  of 
the  eastern  colonies.  They  had  fought  their  way  from  the 
interior,  and  seated  themselves  in  the  present  limits  of 
Groton,  where  the  few  poor  remains  of  their  descendants 
still  are  found.  On  the  arrival  of  the  English,  they  had 
extended  their  conquests  a  considerable  distance  up  Con« 
necticut  river,  and  the  eastern  and  western  Nehantics  on 
the  coast  were  subject  to  them. 

In  consequence  of  the  murders  they  had  committed, 
and  the  attack  with  which  they  threatened  the  infant  set 
tlements  at  Hartford,  Windsor,  and  Wethersfield,  the 
inhabitants  formed  an  expedition  in  the  spring  of  1637, 
led  by  Capt.  Mason,  attacked  their  other  fort  on  the 
Mystic,  burnt  it,  and  killed  about  600  persons  t  after 
which  the  nation  fled  from  their  country  ;  and  having  suf 
fered  another  terrible  slaughter  in  the  swamp  at  Fairfield, 
(see  that  place,)  were  reduced  to  slavery,  and  ceased 
from  that  time  to  be  an  object  of  terror. 

This  hill  commands  an  extensive  and  delightful  view, 
being  almost  entirely  clear  of  obstructions,  and  being  supe 
rior  in  height  to  the  neighbouring  hills.  A  considerable 
extent  of  Long  Island  and  the  Sound  are  overlooked  from 
the  summit,  with  various  islands,  bays,  and  points  on  the 
Connecticut  coast.  At  the  time  of  the  burning  of  Mystic 
Fort,  it  was  occupied  by  the  chief  Sachem,  Sassacus,  who 
hastened  to  the  relief  of  his  subjects,  but  arrived  too  late 
to  render  them  any  assistance.  On  his  return  here,  he 
burnt  the  weekwams  and  palisadoes,  and  immediately  fled 
for  refuge  to  the  Mohawks,  by  whom  he  was  beheaded. 

MYSTIC,  7§  miles. 

STONINGTON.  Steamboats  go  daily  to  New-York.  The 
Providence  and  Stonington  Railroad,  47  miles,  leaves 
ihe  shore  of  Long  Island  Sound  at  the  steamboat  wharf  in  " 


notffE  FROM  NEW-YORK  to  BOSTON.          1G9 

Stonington,  passes  through  the  town,  crosses  Paucatuc 
Hiver  into  Rhode  Island,  up  Charles  River  Valley  to  Sher 
man's  Pond  in  South  Kingston^  north  to  East  Greenwich,, 
and  across  a  steam  ferry  to  Providence,  to  meet  the  Bos 
ton  and  Providence  Railroad.  Finished  in  1837  for  two 
millions;  summit  302  feet,  maximum  grade  33  feet,  14 
miles  nearly  level,  minimum  radius  1637  feet,  in  one  spot 
480. 

On  descending1  the  hill  which  leads  into  this  village, 
Porter's  Rock,  30  or  40  feet  high,  is  seen  a  little  off  the 
road  on  the  right  hand.  Under  the  shelter  of  it,  it  is  saidjf 
Capt.  Mason  encamped  with  his  little  army  on  the  night 
of  May  26,  1637,  old* style,  a  few  hours  before  his  suc 
cessful  attack  on  the  second  Pequod  fort,  which  was  on 
the  top  of  a  hill  about  two  miles  south  of  this  place. 

HOPKINTON,  11  miles;  WEST  GREENWICH,  15;  CEN* 
TREVILLE,  2;  PROVIDENCE,  11.  (See  Index.) 

THE  RIVER  THAMES. 

Steamboat  Route  from  New-London  to  Nortbicli. 

A  little  above  New-London,  there  is  a  singular  rock,  oit 
the  east  side,  where  the  explorers  of  the  river  are  said  to" 
have  landed,  and  to  have  been  attacked  by  the  Pequods, 
The  Mohegan  country  lies  above,  on  the  west  side,  with 
Horton's  Hill,  on  the  top  of  which  Uncas  had  a  fort^ 
something  of  which  still  remains.  It  is  a  very  command 
ing  position,  and  overlooks  the  surrounding  country.  Dur 
ing  the  late  war,  the  government  ships  Macedonian^ 
United  States,  and  Hornet,  which  were  in  the  river,  lay 
moored  here  fot  a  length  of  time,  and  their  guns  were' 
drawn  up  by  oxen  to  the  top  of  the  hill  on  the  east  shore, 
above  the  little  cove. 

TRADING  COVE,  1  mile  above  Kiah's  Cove,  is  a  hand 
some  little  bay,  making  up  into  the  Indian  country,  and 
derived  its  name  irom  the  barter  formerly  carried  on 
here  between  the  white  men  and  the  Mohegans.  Uncas, 
the  Sachem  of  Mohegan,  was  believed  to  be  of  Pequod 
descent,  but  in  a  state  of  successful  revolt  at  the  time  the 
English  became  acquainted  with  him.  His  chief  resi 
dence  was  near  th>&  cove,  now  the  centre  of  the  Indian 


170  NORWICH. 

Reservation ;  but  the  burying  ground  of  the  royal 
was  near  Norwich  Landing,  (which  is  in  sight  from  this 
place.)  He  had  conquered  the  country  as  far  north  as 
about  the  present  Massachusetts  line,  but  became  an  early 
friend  of  the  whites,  and  rendered  them  important  ser* 
vices,  particularly  in  war,  as  well  as  his  successors,  the 
later  Mohegan  chiefs, 

Before  this  part  of  the  state  was  settled,  tineas  was 
once  so  closely  besieged  by  his  enemies  the  Pequods, 
that  he  suffered  extremely  from  a  scarcity  of  provisions, 
tind  was  relieved  only  by  the  Care  of  a  man  named  Lef- 
ftngwell,  who  was  despatched  from  Connecticut  with  a 
boat  loaded  with  provisions.  In  .gratitude,  Uncas  gave 
him  a  large  part  of  the  present  town  of  Norwich  for  this 
important  service.  There  is  a  rock  still  pointed  out  on 
the  shore,  and  called  Uncas'  Chair,  where  the  Sachem  is 
said  to  have  sat  and  watched  the  arrival  of  his  friends. 

On  the  south  side,  Trading  Cove  is  bounded  by  Copper's 
Hill ;  beyond  is  Fort  Hill,  which  derived  its  name  from  a 
little  place  of  strength  erected  in  old  times  by  the  Indians,, 
as  a  protection  against  other  nations  small  like'themselves- 
The  poor  remains  of  this  tribe  reside  on  the  lands  secured 
to  them  by  the  state  government,  and  live  in  all  the  igno 
rance,  idleness,  and  thriftlessness  common  to  Indians  in 
this  part  of  the  country :  melancholy  testimonies  of  the 
degradation  to  which  the  most  active  human  minds  may 
sink  when  every  customary  impulse  to  exertion  has  been 
stifled,  and  no  new  incitement  extended. 

Worcester  and  Norwich  Railroad,  58.J  miles.  Leaves 
Norwich  Landing,  passes  up  the  valley  of  Quinnebaug 
road,  near  Jewett's  city,  and  many  manufactories,  through 
Westfield,  Pomfret,  Oxford,  &c.  to  Worcester,  where  it 
meets  the  railroads  to  Boston  and  to  Springfield.  Opened 
in  1840;  cost  1  million;  maximum  grade  20  feet. 

Norwich  has  three  villages,  of  which  Chelsea  Landing  is 
the  principal,  and  is  remarkable  for  its  singular  situation, 
as  well  as  for  its  appearance  of  business,  which  is  much 
favoured  by  the  numerous  manufactories  in  the  neighbour 
ing  country.  The  Plain  is  about  a  mile  north,  and  a  very 
pleasant  place. 

On  the  way  thither  is  seen  the  Cove,  at  the  upper  end 
of  \vhich_  are  the  Falls  of  Yantic,  a  stream  which  pours 


ROUTE   FROM    NEW-YORK    TO    BOSTON.  171 

Over  a  ledge  of  granite  about  40  feet  high,  and  supplies 
several  manufactories  with  water.  The  place  is  highly 
picturesque.  A  rock,  70  or  80  feet  in  height,  overhangs 
the  stream,  whence  a  number  of  Narragansett  Indians 
once  precipitated  themselves  when  pursued  by  the  Mohe 
gans. 

The  Burying  Ground  of  the  Uncases  is  on  the  elevated 
bank  north  of  the  Cove,  on  the  grounds  of  Judge  Goddard. 
There  are  stones  marking  the  graves  of  numerous  mem 
bers  of  the  royal  family  of  the  Mohegans,  and  a  few 
of  them  bear  English  inscriptions.  The  family  is  now 
extinct. 

Uncas,  the  old  friend  of  the  Pilgrims,  is  buried  here. 
He  and  his  nation  were  the  only  steady  allies  they  ever 
found  among  the  Indians,  steady  and  powerful  enough 
to  render  them  very  essential  service.  He  was  a  man 
of  extraordinary  talent,  and  withal  extremely  politic  ;  but 
he  refused  to  join  the  Indians  against  the  English,  and 
died  a  friend  of  the  white  men. 

This  plain  was  the  principal  summer  residence  of  the 
Mohegans. 

The  manufacturing  village  is  under  the  bank  and  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Yantic.  The  position  is  well  selected,  and 
the  sum  expended  in  buildings  and  machinery  very  great. 

SACHEM'S  FIELD.  At  the  distance  of  l£  miles  from 
Norwich,  is  Sachem's  Field,  a  small  elevated  plain,  on 
which  a  battle  was  fought  in  the  year  1643,  between  about 
900  Narragansetts,  (who  inhabited  Rhode  Island,)  and 
500  or  600  Mohegans.  The  Sachem  of  the  former, 
Miantonimo,  intending  to  chas'tise  Uncas  for  his  adherence 
to  the  English,  secretly  advanced  into  his  country  with 
an  army;  but  Uncas  was  aware  of  his  approach,  and  met 
him  on  this  plain,  where  both  parties  halted. 

Uncas  resorted  to  a  stratagem.  He  stepped  forward 
alone,  and  challenged  Miantonimo  to  decide  the  quarrel 
single-handed.  This,  as  he  expected,  was  refused;  and 
while  his  enemies  were  not  prepared,  he  gave  a  signal  by 
falling  down,  when  his  men  instantly  set  up  a  yell,  dis 
charged  their  arrows,  and  rushed  forward.  The  Narra 
gansetts  fled,  and  many  of  them  were  killed.  Uncas  cap 
tured  Miantonimo  himself,  but  the  haughty  Indian  would 
not  ask  for  quarter  nor  speak  a  word.  He  was  taken  to 


172  NEWPORT. 

Hartford,  and  after  a  trial,  was  delivered  to  Uncas  for 
execution.  He  was  brought  back  to  this  place,  and  while 
marching  across  the  field,  was  tomahawked  on  a  spot  a 
little  east  of  the  road,  where  a  heap  of  stones  for  many 
years  marked  the  place  of  his  burial. 

NEWPORT,  Rhode  Island.  This  place  possesses  one  of 
the  best  harbours  in  the  United  States.  The  entrance  is 
guarded  by  Fort  Adams ;  and  the  scenery  about  it  is 
agreeable. 

FORT  ADAMS  on  Brenton's  Point  embraces  an  extent 
of  130  acres.  A  range  of  guns  lines  the  shore  towards 
the  west,  and  the  casements,  &c.  are  very  strong. 

Newport  extends  about  a  mile  along  the  shore,  but  pre 
sents  the  aspect  of  decay,  as  the  commerce  has  been  re 
moved  to  Providence.  The  situation  has  many  advan 
tages  ;  and  this,  with  the  cheapness  of  rent  will  probably 
render  it  the  temporary  abode  of  many  strangers  during 
the  warm  season. 

The  houses  of  the  town  are  thickly  clustered  about  the 
margin,  but  make  rather  a  gloomy  appearance  on. account 
of  the  want  of  repair ;  the  place  having  experienced  a 
gradual  declension  caused  by  the  success  of  Providence, 
thirty  miles  further  up. 

The  beach  behind  the  town,  like  the  whole  circuit  of 
the  city  on  the  land  side,  was  defended  by  a  line  of  troops, 
batteries,  &c.  during  the  possession  of  it  by  the  English 
in  the  revolutionary  war;  and  the  opposite  high  grounds 
were  occupied  by  the  American  army,  whose  head  quar 
ters  were  on  Taumony  Hill,  a  mile  and  a  half,  or  there 
abouts,  from  the  town :  an  elevation  which  affords  an 
extensive  view  on  every  side.  Gen.  Prescott  was  taken 
h^re  during  the  war,  by  a  bold  party  of  men  under  Col. 
Barton,  who  landed  secretly  from  a  boat  in  the  night, 
•went  to  the  British  head  quarters,  and  conveyed  their 
captive  away  before  the  land  or  naval  forces,  then  in  the 
harbour,  could  prevent  them.  The  place  was  blockaded 
by  the  British  fleet. 

During  the  possession  of  the  place  by  the  enemy,  the 
trees  were  cut  down  for  fuel ;  and  although  the  soil  is 
admirably  calculated  for  the  growth  of  fruit  trees,  and 
•was,  before  that  period,  quite  covered  with  the  finest  or 
chards,  it  is  now  so  divested  of  trees  of  every  descrip- 


ROUfE    FROM    NEW- YORK   TO  BOSTON.  17'3 

lion,  as  to  appear  remarkably  naked  and  monotonous  for 
an  American  scene.  The  fertility  of  the  ground,  and  the 
excellence  of  the  crops,  however,  as  well  as  the  neatness 
And  precision  with  which  the  fields  are  cultivated^  and 
regularly  divided  by  fine  stone  walls,  present  a  picture  of 
agricultural  beauty  rarely  paralleled  in  the  United  States. 
The  island,  fourteen  miles  long,  and  not  three  wide,  con 
tained  in  1827  more  than  30,000  sheep. 

MOUNT  HOPE,  famous  as  the  ancient  royal  residence 
of  the  Narragansett  Indians,  and  particularly  as  the  abode 
of  King  Philip,  and  the  scene  of  his  death,  is  seen  from 
a  few  miles  beyond  Newport,  towards  the  northwest.  It 
rises  in  Warren,  on  the  shore  of  an  arm  of  the  bay.  The 
view  of  it  is  soon  afterwards  cut  off  by  the  intervention  of 
Prudence  Island,  which  is  about  five  miles  in  length,  and 
presents  the  same  fertile  soil  and  gently  swelling  surface 
as  that  of  Rhode  Island.  The  inhabitants  are  few,  as  are 
those  of  Patience  and  Hope,  islands  of  a  much  smaller 
size.  Despair  is  a  cluster  of  rocks  on  the  left,  near  the 
island  of  Hope,  the  north  end  of  which  is  twenty  miles 
from  Providence. 

Rhode  Island,  Coal  Mine.  An  extensive  mine  of  An 
thracite,  or  incombustible  coal,  was  opened  a  few  years 
since  near  the  end  of  the  island,  in  Portsmouth,  about 
two  miles  from  Bristol  Ferry.  It  was  not  extensively 
used,  however,  and  the  work  was  speedily  abandoned. 

PROVIDENCE  is  the  second  city  in  New-England,  both 
in  population,  wealth  and  beauty.  It  is  beautifully  as 
well  as  advantageously  situated  at  the  head  of  navigation, 
on  the  river  of  the  same  name. 

The  Boston  and  Providence  Railroad,  41  m.  begins  at 
India  Wharf  in  Providence,  near  the  steamboat  landing; 
and,  passing  through  the  town,  leads  through  Foxboro', 
Walpole,  Dedham,  Roxbury  and  other  towns.  Opened 
in  1835,  cost  nearly  two  millions,  curvatures  gentle,  least 
radius,  5730  feet;  highest  grade,  37 1  feet;  summit  in 
Sharon,  256  feet  above  tide.  There  is  a  viaduct  of  gra 
nite  in  Canton,  700  feet  long,  and  above  sixty  feet  high, 
over  Neponset  Valley.  There  are  many  embankments 
and  excavations  in  rock. 

Taunton  Branch  railroad  from  Mansfield  leads  southeast 
to  Taunton,  llm.  and  New-Bedford  24  m.  moro. 


174  DEDHAM. 

The  Milbury  Branch  leaves  the  Boston  and  Providence 
railroad  at  Grafton  for  Milbury,  3  m. 

BROWN  UNIVERSITY,  the  greatest  institution  of  learn* 
ing  in  the  state,  is  built  on  the  summit  of  a  high  hill,  thej 
ascent  to  which  is  not  very  easy,  although  it  is  laid  out  in 
streets  decorated  with  some  of  the  finest  houses  in  thia 
part  of  the  country ;  dispersed  among  spacious  gardens^ 
and  mingling  the  delights  of  the  country  with  the  .splen* 
dour  of  a  city.  Dr.  Wayland  is  the  president. 

The  town  was  settled  by  Roger  Williams,  who  left  the 
old  colonies  in  consequence  of  a  disagreement  in  religious 
doctrines,  He  built  his  house  on  the  shoie,  near  the  pre* 
sent  Episcopal  church.  Many  of  the  society  of  Quakers 
ot  Friends  afterwards  joined  him,  whose  descendants 
form  a  large  share  of  the  population  of  the  state. 

The  Academy  is  a  large  institution,  near  the  College, 
established  by  the  Friends  or  Quakers. 

[TAUNTON,  32  miles  from  Boston,  next  above  Digh« 
ton.  A  great  quantity  of  cotton  is  manufactured  here, 
and  there  are  extensive  works  in  iron. 

BLACKSTONE  CANAL.  This  canal,  which  reaches  to 
Worcester,  Massachusetts,  runs  along  the  course  of  the 
Blackstone  River  for  several  miles.  It  is  45  miles  long, 
18  feet  wide  at  the  bottom,  and  34  feet  at  the  surface. 
There  are  48  locks,  all  built  of  stone,  which  overcome  a 
rise  and  fall  of  450  feet.  The  size  of  the  locks  is  82 
feet  in  length,  and  10  in  breadth  ;  and  the  cost  of  the 
whole  work  was  about  $500,000.  The  water  is  chiefly 
derived  from  the  Blackstone  river;  but  there  are  large 
ponds  at  different  parts  of  the  route  which  can  be  drawn 
upon  at  any  time.  The  whole  work  was  completed 
about  1828. 

PAWTUCKET  is  one  of  the  largest  manufacturing  places 
in  this  part  of  the  country.  The  banks  of  the  river  are 
varied  and  somewhat  romantic ;  while  the  fall,  which  ia 
under  the  bridge,  furnishes  a  most  valuable  water  power. 
Cotton  is  principally  manufactured  here,  though  there  is 
machinery  devoted  to  other  purposes. 

DEDHAM,  10  mites  from  Boston,  is  a  large  and  beautiful 
village,  with  regular  and  well  built  streets,  and  some  quite 
elegant  houses, 


BOSTON.  175 

BLUE  HILLS.  This  is  a  pleasant  retreat,  about  7  miles 
from  the  city  of  Boston,  and  much  resorted  to  in  the 
summer  season.  On  the  northern  side,  the  view  em 
braces,  in  a  clear  day,  the  Green  Mountains  in  Vermont,, 
and  the  White  Mountains  in  New-Hampshire,  with  a 
wide  extent  of  country  between :  Nahant,  and  in  general, 
all  Boston  Bay,  are  seen  eastwardly,  and  near  at  hand. 

These  hills  are  seen  on  the  right  from  the  road,  a  few 
miles  south  of  Boston. 

Quincy  Railway.  This  is  the  first  work  of  the  kind 
which  was  constructed  in  the  United  States.  It  is  three 
miles  long,  and  leads  from  the  quarries  of  granite  to  na 
vigable  water,  for  the  transportation  of  stone  to  Boston. 
The  quarries  will  be  found  worthy  of  a  visit. 

ROXBURY.  On  the  Neck  which  leads  to  Boston,  are 
seen  the  remains  of  the  intrenchments  thrown  up  by 
General  Washington,  in  1776,  to  shut  the  British  troops 
up  in  the  town  ;  and  a  little  beyond  thern  is  the  place 
where  General  Gage  previously  drew  his  line  across,  to 
command  the  communication  between  it  and  the  coun 
try.  The  country  on  both  sides  retains  marks  of  the 
American  forts,  redoubts,  &c.  and  Dorchester  Heights  on 
the  east  are  crowned  with  the  works  thrown  up  by  Wash 
ington,  which  commanded  Boston  and  the  anchorage ; 
and  forced  the  enemy  to  evacuate  the  place.  Embarking 
here  in  their  fleet,  they  went  around  to  Long  Island,  and 
soon  after  entered  New-York. 

THE  CITY  OF  BOSTON, 

HOTELS.  The  Tremont  House,  Exchange,  Marlbo- 
rough  Hotel,  &c. 

From  Boston  railroads  run  in  several  directions:  to 
Portsmouth,  New-Hampshire,  55^  miles,  to  be  extended 
to  Portland,  Maine,  58  miles  further  ;  to  Lowell  26|  miles, 
and  Nashua,  New-Hampshire,  15  miles.  A  branch  to 
Andover,  7|- miles, from  Boston;  and  Exeter,  New-Hamp 
shire,  46£  from  Boston.  To  Worcester,  44£  miles,  and 
through  Brookfield  to  Springfield,  54  miles  more,  while 
Norwich  railroad  goes  from  Worcester,  58£  miles,  meet 
ing  New-York  steamboats.  To  Providence,  41  miles, 
1G 


Ho  THE   A.THEN.EUM. 

meeting  New- York  steamboats,  and  also  the  Stonington, 
Connecticut  railroad,  47  miles,  which  also  meets  New- 
York  steamboats.  (For  particulars  of  these  roads  see 
farther  on.) 

Boston  contains  an  uncommon  proportion  of  fine  build 
ings,  particularly  private  residences.  The  finest  build 
ings  are  of  whitish  granite,  brought  from  the  shores  of  the 
Merrimack  River,  and  Quincy. 

The  MAKKET  is  of  granite,  and  has  a  centre  building, 
74^  feet  by  55,  with  wings,  extending  in  ail  536  feet, 
with  a  fine  facade  at  each  end,  with  granite  columns  of 
single  pieces,  2L  feet  high,  and  weighing  each  14  or  15 
tons.  A  row  of  granite  buildings  on  each  side,  4  stories 
high,  for  stores,  is  more  than  500  feet. 

The  COMMON  is  a  fine  piece  of  ground,  of  about  50 
acres,  on  the  southwestern  side  of  the  city,  and  one  of 
its  greatest  ornaments.  The  surface  is  agreeably  varied 
by  a  few  gentle  undulations,  and  it  is  decorated  with 
rows  of  handsome  dwelling  houses  on  two  sides,  while 
on  the  third,  it  is  bounded  by  the  bay  of  Charles  River, 
and  affords  an  extensive  view  in  that  direction,  embracing 
a  tract  of  cultivated  hilly  country.  Here  are  Crescent 
Pond  and  the  great  Elm. 

The  STATE  HOUSE  is  the  principal  object  seen  in  ap 
proaching  the  city,  and  stands  on  a  considerable  eminence 
at  the  north  side  of  the  common.  It  has  a  large  dome  on 
the  top,  affording  the  most  extensive  view  of  Boston  and 
the  surrounding  country  which  is  to  be  found. 

Chantrey's  Statue  of  Washington.  In  this  beautiful 
specimen  of  the  skill  of  the  greatest  British  Sculptor, 
Boston  possesses  a  treasure.  It  was  finished  and  sent  to 
America  in  1827,  and  a  new  apartment  was  constructed 
for  its  reception,  adjoining  the  Doric  Hall  in  the  State 
House.  The  total  expense  of  the  statue  and  building 
amounted  to  about  $16,000. 

Faneuil  Hall  is  an  old  building,  which  was  used  for 
public  meetings  before  the  revolution,  and  where  the  spirit 
of  liberty  was  early  excited  and  cherished. 

The  Alhenaum,  at  the  south  end  of  Pearl-street,  is 
open  daily  to  strangers  introduced  by  members,  and  con 
tains  a  valuable  library  of  about  35,000  vols.  and  about 


BOSTOK.  177 

14,000  coins  and  medals,  with  the  Gallery  of  Fine  Arts  in 
the  rear,  with  a  collection  of  statues,  paintings,  &c.  Medi 
cal  College  in  Mason-street;  Massachusetts  Historical 
Society's  Library  in  Franklin-street;  New-England  Mu 
seum  in  Court-street;  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary  ;  Massachu 
setts  General  Hospital. 

At  Charlestovvn  are  the  State  Prison,  conducted  on  the 
improved  plan,  and  the  U.  S.  Navy  Yard,  with  ship  houses, 
dry  dock,  &c.  Also,  the  Insane  Hospital. 

The  hills  at  Dorchester,  Roxbury,  Brighton,  Cambridge, 
Charlestown,  &c.  together  with  the  numerous  islands 
which  protect  the  harbour,  form  an  amphitheatre,  very 
regular  and  beautiful,  when  seen  from  the  top  of  the  State 
House ;  and  the  villages  which  are  seen  in  every  direc 
tion,  almost  entirely  line  the  shore.  The  mingling  of  land 
and  water  in  this  scene  is  very  fine  ;  and  it  is  easy,  at  a 
glance,  to  comprehend  the  plan  of  the  various  measures 
adopted  during  the  revolutionary  war,  for  the  defence  and 
capture  of  the  place. 

Gen.  Gage,  in  1775,  ran  a  breastwork  across  Roxbury 
neck,  which  is  very  narrow,  in  order  to  command  the  only 
land  communication  with  the  neighbouring  country,  and 
then  continued  those  acts  of  oppression  upon  the  people, 
which  exasperated  the  colonies  so  much  against  him. 
Contributions  were  sent  in  for  their  relief  from  all  parts  of 
the  colonies. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  1775,  while  the  forces  which  had 
repaired  to  this  threatened  scene,  had  their  head  quarters 
at  Cambridge,  a  body  of  men,  principally  formed  of  de 
tachments  from  Massachusetts  and  New-Hampshire  regi 
ments  having  fortified  themselves  on  Breed's  Hill,  (an  in 
ferior  eminence  behind  Charlestown,)  manfully  disputed 
the  ground  with  the  British  troops,  sent  over  from  Boston 
to  occupy  it.  The  loss  was  great  on  both  sides,  particu 
larly  on  that  of  the  assailants,  who  were  driven  back  in 
three  attacks.  The  boldness  of  these  raw  troops,  and  the 
success  with  which  they  so  long  withstood  the  charges  of 
the  regulars,  were  of  the  utmost  use,  by  encouraging  the 
country,  and  by  convincing  the  English  that  they  were 
fighting  a  powerful  foe.  The  battle  usually  goes  by  the 
name  of  Bunker's  Hill ;  but  should,  in  strict  propriety,  be 


178  DORCHESTER  HEIGHTS. 

called  after  Breed's  Hill,  as  the  latter  is  a  distinct  emi 
nence,  although,  perhaps,  a  spur  from  the  former. 

The  British  landed  near  a  point,  just  beyond  where 
the  navy  yard  is  now  seen;  and  the  American  defences 
consisted  of  a  small  earth  redoubt  on  the  top  of  Breed's 
Hill,  (where  the  great  monument  is  now  seen,  half  finish 
ed,)  and  a  double  rail  fence,  stuffed  with  new  hay,  ex 
tending  from  it  to  the  water.  A  British  sloop  of  war 
lay,  during  the  action,  in  Mystic  River,  beyond  the  navy 
yard,  and  kept  up  a  cross  fire  upon  the  low  neck,  which 
connects  the  peninsula  of  Charlestown  with  the  main  land. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  1825,  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of 
this  battle,  the  corner  stone  of  the  monument  was  laid  in 
an  angle  of  the  old  redoubt  on  Breed's  Hill. 

The  base,  (a  mass  of  14,000  tons  weight,)  is  laid  13 
feet  deep,  and  has  six  courses  of  stone  to  the  surface — 
the  first  of  which  is  50  feet  on  each  side.  Above  this  a 
pyramidal  obelisk,  30  feet  square,  is  to  rise  tapering,  213 
feet  4  inches  on  the  ground,  and  to  be  15  at  the  top.  It 
will  be  composed  of  80  courses  of  stone,  each  2  feet  8 
inches  thick.  A  winding  stone  staircase  in  the  inside 
will  lead  to  the  summit,  whence  the  view  will  be  fine  and 
highly  interesting.  The  whole  is  to  be  built  of  granite 
from  Gluincy.  The  largest  block  in  it  is  said  to  be  of  the 
following  dimensions  :  1 1  feet  long,  2  broad,  2  feet  8  inches 
high,  with  a  weight  of  10  tons. 

After  the  battle  of  Bunker's  hill,  the  Continental  troops 
were  drawn  in  a  more  complete  line  around  the  town  of 
Boston ;  and  numerous  intrenchments  may  still  be  traced 
out  on  most  of  the  hills  in  the  vicinity  ;  but  it  was  not  till 
Gen.  Washington  had  succeeded  in  occupying  Dorchester 
Heights,  which  command  the  harbour  and  town  from  the 
southeast,  that  the  British  forces  embarked  in  their  ships, 
tind  evacuated  the  place. 

Dorchester  Heights  were  occupied  on  the  night  of 
March  4,  1776.  Eight  hundred  men  formed  the  van; 
then  followed  carriages,  and  1200  pioneers  under  General 
Thomas,  300  carts  of  fascines  and  gabions,  and  guns  in 
the  rear.  Two  forts  were  formed  by  10  at  night,  one  to 
wards  the  city,  and  the  other  towards  Castle  Island.  Pre 
parations  were  made  for  an  attack  by  the  British,  and 


IfAHANT.  179 

for  defence  by  the  Americans ;  but  the  weather  prevented 
the  designs  of  the  former,  who  consisted  of  10,000,  anci 
they  embarked  for  New-York.  The  town  was  pillaged, 
and  1500  loyalists  removed.  It  was  evacuated  on  March 
17th:  ammunition,  &c.  being- left  by  the  British. 

BRIDGES.  Some  of  the  most  striking1  objects  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Boston,  are  the  bridges  which  lead  front 
it  to  various  points.  There  are  no  less  than  seven  princi 
pal  ones,  beside  several  branches.  The  expense  at  which 
they  have  been  constructed  and  are  kept  in  repair  is  very 
great,  and  they  furnish  great  facilities  for  strangers  desirous 
of  making  excursions  to  the  surrounding  country.  The 
milldarn  bridge  is  two  miles  long1. 

Public  Schools.  There  are  seven  grammar  schools,  ire 
which  were  about  500  pupils.  There  were  20Q  boys  in 
the  Latin,  and  140  in  the  High  school.  The  primary 
schools  contained  almost  3000  children  between  4  and  7 
years  of  age,  taught  by  females,  &c.  &e.  The  public  ex* 
penae  incurred  in  instructing  nearly  75,000  children,  i» 
$54,000  annually. 

A  monument  has  been  laid  over  the  graves  of  Dry 
Franklin's  parents,  in  the  Granary  burying  ground.  It  is 
an  obelisk  25-  feet  high,  formed  of  seven  blocks  of  Quincy 
granite,  each  weighing  about  six  tons. 

VILLAGES.  The  vicinity  of  Boston  presents  a  succes 
sion  of  villages,  probably  not  to  be  paralleled  for  beauty 
in  the  United  States.  They  are  generally  the  residence  of 
a  number  of  the  most  opulent  citizens  during  the  pleasant 
seasons,  a-nd  many  of  the  buildings  are  fine  and  expensive* 
The  grounds  are  also  frequently  laid  out  with  great  taste, 
and  highly  cultivated  ;  so  that  no  stranger,  who  has  leisure,- 
should  fail  to  take  a  circuit  through  them,  for  a  few  miles. 
There  are  several  manufacturing  establishments  in  thi* 
vicinity,  among  which  Waltham  is  conspicuous.  Har 
vard  University  and  Mount  Auburn  Cemetery,  near  Charles- 
town,  should  be  visited.  Also,  Fresh  Pond. 

N  AH  ANT,  14  miles.  This  is  a  very  pleasant  and  fa* 
vourite  resort,  during  the  warm  months  '.  being  a  fine  situ 
ation,  open  to  the  sea,  of  easy  access  by  land  and  water, 
and  furnished  with  several  houses  for  the  accommodation! 
of  visitors,  particularly  a  large  hotel.  A  steamboat  runs- 
thither  in  the  summer,  and  there  is  a  fine  road  which  passes 
16* 


ISO  PLYMOUTH. 

Found  the  bay,  through  the  shoe-making  town  of  Lynflj 
along  Lynn  beach,  and  then  turns  off  to  the  promontory  of* 
Nahant,  which  is  a  point  of  rough  rocks  of  considerable 
elevation.  You  may  cross  Charlestown  bridge,  and  visit 
Bunker's  Hill  at  setting  out. 

The  passage  in  the  steamboat  affords  a  fine  view  of 
Boston  bay,  with  the  city;  Dorchester  Heights  on  the 
south.  Bunker  and  Breed's  Hills  on  the  northwest,  and 
many  other  interesting  objects.  Among  the  islands  which 
form  the  defence  of  the  harbour,  is  that  which  contains 
Castle  Williams,  and  one  or  two  other  fortified  ones. 
Ilainsford  Island  has  the  Marine  Hospital,  part  of  it  quite 
elevated,  but  containing  only  a  few  acres,  and  another  on 
which  is  the  Farm  School,  an  interesting  institution  £ot 
boys.  Salt  is  made  in  Boston  Bay,  and  windmills  are 
sometimes  used  to  pump  the  water. 

The  ground  near  the  hotel  at  Nahant  has  been  laid  out 
and  ornamented  Avith  taste.  The  cupola  on  the  top  com* 
mands  a  fine  water  scene ;  and  during  a  strong  wind 
from  the  sea,  the  waves  are  high  and  magnificent,  breaking 
•wildly  against  the  rocks. 

The  Balhi  are  at  a  little  distance  from  the  hotel,  and 
tjuite  commodious,  furnishing  one  of  the  chief  attractions 
of  the  place. 

The  Syren's  Grotto  is  a  remarkable  cavity  in  the 
rocks,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  hotel.  It 
has  been  curiously  worn  out  by  the  waves  ;  and  there  are 
several  other  caverns  of  a  similar  character,  produced  in 
tho  course  of  ages,  by  the  constant  attrition  of  the  water. 
The  Spouting  Horn  is  a  hole  in  the  rocks,  on  the  oppo* 
site  side,  where  the  water  is  thrown  up  in  the  air  at  par* 
ticular  times  of  tide.  The  rocks  are  of  granite,  porphyry, 
epidote,  &c.  and  furnish  pebbles  of  jasper,  &c.  Pulpit 
Rock,  on  the  south,  is  a  singular  object ;  its  top  is  almost 
inaccessible.  The  rude  shores  and  the  smooth  beach  can 
be  best  examined  at  low  tide ;  but  those  who  are  fond  of 
sublime  scenes,  should  omit  no  opportunity  to  visit  them 
when  the  wind  is  high,  particularly  in  a  moonlight  night. 

PLYMOUTH,  36  miles  S.  S.  E.  from  Boston. — This  place 
is  highly  interesting  on  account  of  its  history,  being  the 
site  of  the  first  settlement  made  by  the  New-England  Pil* 
grans  in  16'20>  on  the  22d  of  December.  Amass  of  granite 


TOtJR  OF   NEW-ENGLAND.  181 

tock  is  still  shown  on  which  those  stepped  who  first 
landed.  It  has  been  divided,  and  a  part  of  it  remains 
buried  near  the  shore  in  its  natural  location,  while  the 
Upper  part  is  removed  into  the  centre  of  the  village. 

A  handsome  building  was  erected  here  in  1820,  in 
which  the  New-England  Society  hold  their  annual  cele- 
brations  of  that  interesting  era  in  the  history  of  the  coun 
try.  Burying  Hill,  which  rises  near  at  hand,  is  the  spot 
where  a  small  fort  was  erected  by  the  settlers,  and  where 
the  graves  of  several  of  them  are  still  to  be  found.  The 
banks  of  the  brook  south  of  the  hill  were  the  scene  of  the 
first  conference  with  Massasoit,  a  friendly  and  faithful 
Indian  chief,  from  whom  the  name  of  the  Bay,  and  subse 
quently  that  of  the  state  was  derived.  Manumet  point  is 
a  promontory  on  the  south  side  of  the  harbour ;  and  a 
small  island  on  the  opposite  side  of  it  was  the  spot  where 
the  pilgrims  first  placed  their  teet  on  shore  in  this  vicinity, 
after  having  previously  landed  on  Cape  Cod. 

The  young  and  feeble  colony  suffered  extreme  distresses 
here,  from  the  severity  of  the  climate,  (against  which  they 
were  unprepared,  as  they  had  sailed  for  a  more  southern 
region,)  and  the  want  of  provisions.  Nothing  but  the 
assistance  of  Massasoit.  under  the  providence  of  God,  pre 
served  them  from  extinction. 

Hordes  from  Boston.-^ -Railroad  cars  and  coaches  go 
in  so  many  directions,  that  a  choice  may  be  made  be 
tween  a  great  many,  all  of  them  pleasant,  in  setting  out 
for  a  tour  to  the  westward,  or  towards  the  city  of  New- 
York. 

In  the  first  place,  the  noble  scenery  of  the  White  Hills 
may  be  taken  in  the  way  to  Lake  Champlain,  Canada, 
the  Springs,  or  Niagara ;  or  in  making  the  more  circum 
scribed  route  of  Connecticut  River.  Next,  those  who 
•choose  a  more  direct  way,  may  avail  themselves  of  the 
road  through  Concord,  Plymouth,  and  Haverhill;  or  Con 
cord  and  Hanover;  or  Concord,  Keene,  and  Windsor;  or 
its  branches  to  Charlestown  or  Walpole. 

Besides  these,  are  the  roads  to  Albany  or  the  Springs, 
through  the  following  different  places :  Brattleborough, 
Bloody  Brook,  Greenfield,  Northampton,  (and  New- 
Lebanon;)  Springfield  and  Hartford. 

These  whe  desire  to  travol  rapidfy  will  take  the  Wor* 


182  ROUTES   FROM  BOSTON 

cester  Railroad.  To  strangers,  it  will  be  proper  to  remark 
once  more,  that  the  route  of  Connecticut  River.presents  at 
once  a  scene  of  fertility,  population^  good  habits,  and  in 
telligence,  on  the  whole,  superior  to  any*  other  tract  of 
country,  of  equal  extent,  in  the  United  States  ;  with  cor 
respondent  accommodations  for  travellers.  The  scenery 
is  rich  and  varying,  and  cannoftfa.il  to  please,  wherever  it 
is  seen  ;  but  those  who  can  first  pass  through  the  Notch 
in  the  White  Mountains,  will  find  its  beauties  'greatly 
enhanced  by  the  contrast. 

East  of  Boston,  the  country  is  -of  a  different,  arid  too 
often  of  an  opposite  character,  presenting  few  objects  of 
importance,  except  the  sea  ports  through  which  the  road 
passes.  t»  kf 

There  is  a  line  of  steamboats  to  Maift*  and  New- 
Brunswick. 

The  road  to  Portland,  and  through'  the  most  populous 
part  of  the  state  of  Maine,  will  be  given  towards  the  end 
of  the  volume. 

The  Boston  and  Lowell  Railroad,  northwest,  26i  m. 
Crosses  Charle&town  road  on  a  viaduct,  and  passes  in  view 
of  the  ruins  of  the  Chirlestown  Nunnery  on  Mount  Bene 
dict,  which  was  burned 'by  a  mob  8  or  9  years  ago,  on  a 
charge  of  the  ill  treatment  of  some  of  the  nuns.  At  Wil 
mington  a  branch  leads  off  to  Andover,  7|  m.  Haverhill 
10,  and  Exeter,  N.  H.  20  m. 

Near  Lowell  is  a  long  and  deep  cut,  |  in.  long,  47 
feet  deep,  and  80  feet  wide,  through  a  mass  of  gneiss  rock, 
where  granite  and  other  rocks  are  singularly  intermingled. 
Summit,  125  feet;  maximum  grade,  10  feet  per  mile; 
least  radius,  3000  feet.  More  than  half  is  straight.  Opened 
June,  1835 

This  road  is  extended  to  Nashua,  N.  H.  15  m.  Opened 
1838.  It  is  to  reach  to  Concord. 

The  Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad,  44|  miles. 
Extends  from  the  shore  of  Boston  harbour,  under  Wash 
ington-street,  across  the  city  by  a  viaduct,  over  Charles 
river,  on  an  embankment  680  feet  long,  and  through  a 
cut  through  granite  500  feet  long  and  30  feet  deep,  along 
Charles  river,  through  Brighton  to  Needham,  and  through 
Natick,  Framingham,  Westborough,  and  Grafton,  to  Wor 
cester,  5  miles  ea/st  of  which  \$  the  summit,  550  feet  above 


TOUR   OF   NEW-ENGLAND.  183 

itide.  There  is  a  cut  through  slate  37  feet  deep.  Less 
•than  1  m.  on  this  route  is  level:  maximum  grade,  30 
feet ;  least  radius,  954  feet.  The  continuation  of  this 
road  is 

The  Great  Western  Railroad,  open  from  Wor 
cester  to  Springfield,  54  m.  through  Charlton,  South 
Brookfield,  Palmer,  and  Wilbraham  ;  and  is  to  be  finished 
in  a  year  to  West  Stockbridge,  on  the  New-York  line,  62 
rn.  further.  Engines  can  travel  here  weighing  14  tons, 
and  able  to  draw  a  train  with  1000  barrels  of  flour,  10 
miles  an  hour.  When  the  line  is  complete  to  Albany, 
(lour  will  probably  go  thence  to  Boston  for  35  cents  a 
barrel. 

The  Boston  and  Portsmouth,  or  Eastern  Railroad  ex 
tends  from  East  Boston  through  Lynn,  Salem,  (there  is 
•a  tunnel  under  part  of  the  town,)  Ipswich  and  Newbury- 
port,  (40  m.)  ;  to  Portsmouth,  N.  H.  15|  m.  It  is  probably 
to  be  continued  to  Portland,  Me.  through  Wells,  Kenne- 
bunk  Port,  and  Saco ;  and  thence  to  Bangor,  132  miles 
further. 

From  Boston  to  Burlington,  Vt.  on  Luke  Champlain, 
by  the  White  Hills,  274  m.  Railroad  to  Lowell,  25  m. 
and  Nashua,  N.  H.  35;  Merrimack,  6;  Piscataqua,  10; 
Amoskeag,  2  ;  Hookset,  7  ;  Concord,  8 ;  Winnipiseogee 
Outlet,  17;  Guildford,  11 ;  Centre  Harbour,  (northwest 
corner  of  the  lake,)  13;  Conway,  35;  Bartlett,  10;  the 
Old  Crawford  Farm,  7  ;  Notch  House,  6  ;  Notch,  and 
Notch  Meadow  Tavern,  2;  Ethan  A.  Crawford's,  4;  Lit 
tleton,  18  ;  Montpelier,  40  ;  Burlington,  38. 

From  Boston  to  Burlington,  short  route,  206  in.  To 
Concord  as  above,  then  to  Hanover,  55  m ;  Randolph, 
25;  Brookfield,  12;  Williamstown,  8;  Montpelier,  10; 
Moretown,  7  ;  Waterbury,  4 ;  Bolton,  8  ;  Richmond,  2 ; 
Willston,  9  ;  Burlington,  8. 

From  Boston  to  Burlington  through  Windsor,  Vt.  by 
the  Gulf  Road,  206  m;  to  Woburn,  10  m;  Bilierica,  9; 
Chelmsford,  4 ;  Tyngsborough,  7  ;  Dunstable,  6  ;  Merri 
mack,  7 ;  Amherst,  3 ;  Mount  Vernon,  6  ;  Francistown, 
9  ;  Hillsboro',  9  ;  Washington,  9  ;  Sumpter,  7  ;  Claremont, 
£em  Connecticut  river,)  12;  Windsor,  Vt.  9  ;  Woodstock, 
14  ;  (the  rest  as  above.) 


184  BROOKFIEID. 

To    Albany,    through    Worcester,    Northampton    and 
Lebanon  Springs. 

WATERTOWN,  like  almost  all  the  villages  in  the  vici 
nity  of  Boston,  presents  many  neat  country  seats  and  an 
aspect  of  rural  beauty  and  fertility. 

FRAMINGHAM,  20  miles  from  Boston. 

WORCESTER,  20  m.  LEICESTER,  6  m.  SPENCER,  6  m. 

BR.OOKFIELD.  This  was  one  of  the  towns  earliest  set 
tled  in  this  part  of  the  country,  dating  as  far  back  as 
Nov.  10,  1665  ;  and  for  several  years  the  only  towns  on 
the  west  were  Hadley,  Northampton,  &c.  while  there 
was  no  white  settlement  between  it  and  Canada.  The 
stagecoach  passes  over  a  long  hill  in  West  Brookfield, 
which  commands  an  extensive  prospect ;  and  this  was 
the  place  where  the  settlement  began.  A  few  yards 
west  of  a  white  house  on  the  north  side  of  the  road,  was 
a  house  built  for  defence,  and  though  of  little  strength, 
was  called  the  Fort.  In  August,  1675,  this  place  was 
suddenly  beset  by  several  hundred  savages.  The  in 
habitants  had  been  imposed  upon  by  the  appearance  of 
iriendliness  shown  by  the  Hassenemesit  Indians,  and  on 
their  way  to  their  fort,  a  few  miles  distant,  were  ambush 
ed,  and  pursued,  so  that  they  barely  escaped.  The  house 
in  which  they  all  assembled,  was  besieged,  and  was  seve 
ral  times  in  imminent  danger.  On  one  occasion  a  cart, 
loaded  with  hemp,  &c.  and  set  on  fire,  was  pushed  up  to 
the  house  with  long  poles,  when  a  sudden  shower  came 
up,  in  time  to  extinguish  the  flames.  The  fortunate  arri 
val  of  Capt.  Mosely,  with  a  small  troop  of  horsemen,  de 
livered  the  inhabitants,  and  drove  away  the  savages.  All 
the  houses  having  been  burnt,  and  the  war  soon  begin 
ning  to  rage  with  violence,  the  settlement  was  evacuated. 

The  old  well  still  remains  which  belonged  to  the  fort, 
or  block  house ;  and  there  is  a  rock  in  a  wall,  on  the  oppo 
site  side  of  the  road,  from  behind  which  an  Indian  shot 
one  of  the  men,  who  came  out  to  draw  water  during  the 
siege. 

The  present  village  is  at  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  and  is 
pleasantly  situated,  with  several  ponds  in  the  neighbour 
hood,  which,  with  the  fish  and  fowl  they  furnished,  were 


TOUR   OP    NEW-ENGLAND.  185 

the  principal  attraction  of  the  savages,  who  were  very 
numerous  in  this  tract  of  country.  These  ponds  give  rise 
to  the  Quabaug  River,  which,  after  a  course  of  some 
miles,  takes  the  name  of  Chicopee,  and  joins  the  Connecti 
cut  at  Springfield. 

Ware  Factory  Village  is  situated  in  a  little  valley. 
The  rocks  and  woods  give  an  air  of  wild  ness  to  the  water 
fall. 

BELCHERTOWI?,  nine  miles. 

AMHERST,  seven  miles.  The  shortest  road  to  North 
ampton  does  not  pass  the  College.  (See  Index.) 

HADLEY,  five  miles. 

ROUTE  FROM  BOSTON  TO  THE  WHITE 
MOUNTAINS. 

The  first  day's  journey  may  be  to  Concord  or  Dover, 
both  in  New-Hampshire;  or  you  may  take  the  railroad  to 
Lowell. 

There  are  three  roads  to  Concord,  on  all  which  there 
are  stagecoaches.  (All  necessary  information  concern 
ing  them,  can  be  readily  obtained  at  the  hotels.) 

The  first  is  through  Cambridge,  (where  is  Harvard 
University,)  and  Lexington. 

The  second  is  through  Charlestown,  and  joins  the  other 
on  the  Merrimack. 

The  third  is  through  Andover  and  Haverhill,  Mass. 

The  distance  is  from  68  to  70  miles. 

Several  pluces  on  these  roads  will  be  particularized. 

LEXINGTON  is  remarkable  as  the  place  where  the  first 
blood  was  shed  in  the  revolutionary  war.  On  the  19th  of 
April,  1776,  Gen.  Gage  sent  a  body  of  troops  from  Bos 
ton,  to  seize  a  powder  house  at  Concord,  belonging  to 
the  colony ;  and  the  inhabitants  were  warned  of  his  de 
sign,  by  an  express  despatched  by  the  Hon.  Joseph  War 
ren.  The  militia  were  called  out,  but,  the  alarm  subsid 
ing,  they  were  dismissed,  with  orders,  however,  to  hold 
themselves  in  readiness.  The  enemy  unexpectedly  made 
their  appearance  at  half  past  four,  coming  on  at  a  quick 
step,  within  a  mile  and  a  quarter  of  the  church.  The 
alarm  guns  were  fired,  drums  beat,  and  fifty  or  sixty  mili 
tiamen  assembled  on  the  parade.  The  British  brigade 


185  ANDOVER. 

halted  about  120  yards  from  the  church  to  load,  and  then 
passing  the  east  end  of  the  building,  discovered  the  Ame 
ricans,  who  were  ordered  at  the  moment,  by  their  com 
mander,  Capt.  Parker,  to  "  disperse,  and  take  care  of 
themselves,"  but  "  not  to  fire."  As  some  of  them  loiter 
ed,  the  British  troops  rushed  towards  them,  huzzaing. 
Major  Pitcairn  fired  a  pistol  at  them,  when  about  thirty 
yards  distant  after  they  had  been  called  «'  rebels,"  and' 
ordered  them  to  lay  down  their  arms  and  disperse.  An 
other  officer,  who  was  within  a  few  yards  of  them,  then 
brandished  his  sword,  and  ordered  the  troops  to  "  fire," 
which  was  obeyed  at  tbe  second  order ;  and  the  fire  being 
returned,  it  was  kept  up  on  the  dispersing  men  until  they 
had  all  disappeared.  Eight  were  killed  and  ten  wounded- 
(Gen.  Gage  falsely  stated  that  the  British  were  first  fired 
upon.) 

After  the  regulars  had  fired  a  volley,  from  the  green 
behind  the  church,  and  given  three  cheers,  they  proceed" 
ed  to  Concord.  On  their  return,  being  hard  pressed  by 
sharp  shootei's,  they  burnt  three  houses,  a  shop,  and  a 
barn,  killed  three  more  men,  and  wounded  one. 

AN  DOVER  is  a  small  village,  situated  on  high  ground, 
twenty  rniles  from  Boston,  remarkable  for  the  Philips 
Academy  and  Theological  Seminary,  which  are  three 
fourths  of  a  mile  east  from  it,  on  the  summit  of  the  ascent. 
There  are  three  large  brick  buildings  belonging  to  the 
seminary,  which  make  a  conspicuous  figure  from  differenC 
parts  of  the  surrounding  country,  and  command  a  view  of 
great  extent  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  Temple  Hills  in 
New-Hampshire,  backed  by  the  Monadnoc,  about  sixty 
miles  off;  and  in  the  south  by  the  Blue  Hills.  A  little 
elevation  near  by  affords  a  view  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean, 
from  about  Newburyport  to  Cape  Ann,  with  part  of  Sa 
lem  ;  and  northwest  is  a  distant  peak,  which  is  supposed 
to  be  Ascutney,  in  Vermont. 

The  academical  buildings  are  distinguished  by  the 
names  of  Philips  Hall,  Bartlett  Hall,  and  the  Chapel.  In 
the  upper  part  of  the  latter  is  a  library.  The  profes 
sors'  houses  are  opposite,  with  a  spacious  green  interven 
ing  between  the  seminary  and  the  street ;  and  there  is  also 
a.  large  inn.  The  academy  and  seminary  are  not  con 
nected,  although  they  are  under  the  superintendence  of  the 


ROUTS   TO   THE   WHITE    MOUNTAINS.  187 

same  board.  The  term  of  instruction  in  the  latter  em 
braces  three  years. 

LOWELL,  twelve  miles  from  Boston,  by  a  railroad. 
This  is  one  of  the  greatest  manufacturing  places  in  the 
United  States,  and  one  of  the  most  astonishing  rapidity 
of  growth*  No  longer  ago  than  1813,  the  first  cotton  fac 
tory  was  erected  here,  which  cost  only  about  $3,000. 
Larger  ones  were  founded  in  1818  ;  and  two  years  after 
the  Merrimack  "  Manufacturing  Company"  made  a  pur 
chase  of  buildings  and  ground.  The  falls  are  thirty  feet 
high.  There  is  power  enough  for  fifty  factories  with 
3,500  spindles  each.  The  place  now  presents  the  aspect 
of  a  large  and  busy  town. 

HAVERHILL  is  a  small  town,  but  pleasantly  situated, 
on  the  north  bank  of  the  Merrimack,  the  shores  of  which, 
for  some  distance  below,  present  a  beautiful  and  fertile 
slope  to  the  water.  A  bridge  crosses  the  river.  A  steam 
boat  runs  to  Newburyport,  and  railroad  cars  to  Boston. 

CHEL&SFORD  is  a  manufacturing  place. 

Cfreat  falls  Village  is  a  manufacturing  village,  five 
miles  above  Dover. 

NASHUA  VILLAGE,  in  Dunstable,  thirty-thfee  miles 
from  Concord.  The  fall  in  the  Nashua  river  is  sixty- 
five  feet,  and  the  power  equal  to  about  65,000  spindles. 

DOVER.  This  is  one  of  the  principal  towns  in  the 
state,  and  contains  several  manufactories,  although  the 
supply  of  water  is  by  no  means  abundant  at  all  seasons. 

About  five  miles  above  Dover,  at  Salmon  River  Falls, 
is  a  village,  containing  manufactories. 

CONCORD  is  the  capital  of  New-Hampshire,  and  a 
very  fine  and  flourishing  town.  It  is  much  the  largest 
the  traveller  will  see  before  reaching  the  White  Moun 
tains,  and  for  a  great  distance  beyond  them. 

The  town  is  situated  principally  on  one  street,  which 
is  of  a  great  length  and  very  convenient  breadth,  with 
many  respectable  houses ;  and  runs  parallel  with  the  Mer 
rimack,  which  is  at  only  a  short  distance  on  the  east. 

The  STATE  HOUSE  occupies  a  conspicuous  situation 
near  the  middle  of  the  town,  a  little  removed  from  the 
street,  and  surrounded  by  a  handsome  stone  wall,  enclos 
ing  an  area.  It  is  built  of  hewn  granite  from  the  quarry, 
and  is  a  neat  edifice,  100  feet  long,  with  a  large  hall  on 
17 


188  CONCORD. 

the  first  floor,  and  on  the  second  the  Seriate  and  ftp  pro « 
sentativps'  Chambers,  with  the  committee  rooms,  state 
offices,  &c.  &c.  The  view  from  the  top  is  extensive,  but 
embraces  a  tract  of  country  too  little  cultivated  to  be 
rich,  toid  too  unvaried  to  be  picturesque.  At  the  north 
ward  are  seen  two  or  three  distinct  peaks,  which  may 
serve  as  an  earnest  of  the  magnificent  scenery  to  be  pre 
sented  to  the  traveller  in  that  direction. 

The  STATE  PRISON  is  built  at  a  short  distance  from 
the  State  House,  and  bears  a  still  greater  appearance  of 
solidity  and  strength. 

There  is  an  academy  in  Concord,  with  several  churches. 
Several  newspapers  are  printed  here,  and  gazettes  from 
distant  places  may  be  found  at  the  inns. 

The  MKRRIMACK  RIVER  has  been  rendered  navigable, 
by  various  improvements,  from  Concord  to  Chelmsford, 
where  the  Middlesex  Canal  opens  a  communication  di 
rectly  to  Boston,  28  miles.  Small  manufacturing  villages 
succeed  each  other  along  the  banks  wherever  the  canals 
round  the  falls  and  rapids  afford  water-power. 

ROADS.  Several  lines  of  stagecoache?  meet  in  this 
town,  from  Boston,  Portsmouth,  Plymouth,  Hav-erhill, 
Burlington,  by  the  way  of  Windsor  and  Conway,  on  the 
road  to  the  Notch  in  the  Mountains. 

From  Plymouth  a  coach  goes  through  Francnnia  Notch 
to  Littleton.  The  road  follows  the  Pemigewasset,  through 
fine,  m.-gnificent  scenery. 

There  is  a  road  on  each  side  of  the  lake  towards  Con- 
way.  The  eastern  meets  the  lake  steamboats  at  the  S. 
E.  corner.  The  traveller  should  spend  a  day  at  Centre- 
Harbour,  to  which  the  road  is  pleasant  and  the  country 
agreeable,  although  there  are  but  few  villages  on  the  way. 
Two  roads  fiorn  Concord  lead  to  Meredith  Bridge  Vil 
lage,  24  miles  distant:  one  by  Sandbornton  bridge,  15 
jnile^ — the  other  by  the  Shaker  village,  12  miles. 

From  M.  B.  Village,  delightfully  situated  between  two 
hays,  and  on  a  beautiful  river  that  never  freezes,  it  is 
nine  miles  to  tho  shore  of  the  Lake  at  Meredith  Cove, 
and  13  to  Centre  Harbour. 

For  some  miles  before  reaching  that  place,  the  country 
begins  to  assume  the  features  of  bold  and  mountain 


ROUTE   TO   THE    WHITE    MOUNTAIN'S.  189 

scenery.  Even  before  arriving  at  the  lake,  the  prospect 
is  varied  with  many  of  those  noble  elevations  which  rise 
to  such  a  height  of  grandeur  and  sublimity  as  the  traveller 
proceeds;  and  the  frequent  glimpses  afforded  between  the 
sloping  hills,  over  the  beautiful  lake  below,  by  a  happy 
contrast,  increase  the  effect. 

WINNIPISKOGEE  LAKE.  The  number  and  diversity  of 
the  islands  with  which  the  lake  is  spangled,  will  be  ob 
jects  of  particular  admiration.  They  are  countless  for 
multitude,  and  in  size  present  all  gradations  between  a 
single  rock  and  a  surface  sufficient  for  several  extensive 
farms.  Gunstock  Mountain  lies  south  of  the  lake. 

CENTRE  HARBOUR.  Here  the  traveller  will  be  amply 
rewarded,  if  the  weather  be  fine,  by  stopping  at  least  a 
day  to  make  an  excursion  to  the  top  of 

RED  MOUNTAIN.  This  eminence  may  be  about  1500 
feet  in  height,  and  is  accessible  for  about  two-thirds  of 
the  way  in  a  carriage  or  on  horseback,  though  not  with 
out  some  difficulty,  on  account  of  the  steepness  and 
roughness  of  the  road.  Indeed  the  path  is  very  rocky 
for  half  a  mile  or  more  before  reaching  the  base  of  the 
mountain,  and  the  hardy  pedestrian  will  prefer  to  leave 
his  horse  at  the  main  road,  before  turning  off  by  the  brook. 
The  traveller  should  direct  his  course  towards  a  little 
notch  he  will  see  about  three  quarters  of  the  distance  up, 
where  a  cultivated  field  and  a  fence  are  visible.  From 
the  house  situated  there,  he  must  turn  towards  the  left, 
and  follow  a  path  to  the  summit. 

An  early  visit  is  recommended,  as  the  scene  is  much 
improved  by  an  oblique  light,  and  the  morning  is  on  seve 
ral  accounts  to  be  preferred. 

The  following  sketch  of  the  scene  was  noted  down  on 
the  spot,  and  maybe  taken  as  generally  correct. 

North,,  the  eastern  end  of  Squarn  Lake,  and  part  of  a 
pond  lying  near  it,  with  the  range  of  the  Sandwich  Moun 
tains  behind,  stretching  off  towards  the  east,  with  numer 
ous  dark  brown  peaks,  partly  cultivated  about  their  bases, 
and  enveloped  above  with  forests,  excepting  their  sum 
mits,  which  are  generally  divested  of  verdure.  Far  be 
yond  these  appear  several  loftier  peaks,  which  might  be 
mistaken  for  the  White  Mountains,  were  they  visible  from 


190  VIEW    FROM    RED    MOUNTAIN. 

this  point.     An  intermediate  peak  with  rocky  precipices 
may  be  White-faced  Mountain. 

East-Northeast.  The  eye  ranges  up  the  spacious  val 
ley  through  which  lies  the  way  to  the  White  Mountains, 
and  the  road  which  is  to  conduct  the  traveller  seems  di 
minished  to  the  dimensions  of  a  garden  walk.  Chocaway, 
or,  as  it  is  familiarly  called,  Coivoway  Peak,  risos  on  the 
left;  while  the  noble  ridge  of  the  Ossipee  Mountains  be 
gins  nearer  at  hand  on  the  right,  and  almost  overshadows 
the  observer  with  its  enormous  size.  The  sides  of  these 
mountains  show  a  beautiful  display  of  farms,  interspersed 
with  wood-lots  and  dwellings,  which  in  many  places  have 
encroached  far  towards  the  summits,  and  in  others  pursue 
the  slope  of  the  fertile  uplands  to  the  valley  at  their  feet. 
Numerous  elevations  appear  at  a  greater  distance,  and 
range  themselves  in  lines  to  complete  the  perspective  of 
a  most  magnificent  vista,  which  finally  closes  at  a  ridge, 
whose  shade  is  reduced  by  its  remoteness  to  the  colour 
of  a  cloud.  A  prominent  and  remarkable  mountain, 
which  appears  scarcely  less  distant,  is  called  Pickwaket 
Mountain,  and  rises  by  the  Saco  River,  near  the  place 
where  Capt.  Lovel  fought  his  well-known  battle  with  the 
Indians-,  and  the  fine  valley  between  is  the.country  pass 
ed  over  in  that  fatal  expedition,  in  both  the  approach  and 
the  retreat. 

East.  The  view  abuts  npon  the  Ossipee  Mountains, 
and  no  variety  is  afforded  until  we  turn  to  the 

South-Southeast.  In  that  direction,  and  farther  to  the 
right,  the  whole  surface  of  Winnipiseogee  Lake  lies 
charmingly  spread  out  to  view,  varied  by  numerous  points 
and  headlands,  and  interspersed  with  beautiful  islands 
which  man  despairs  to  number.  Several  distant  eleva 
tions  appear,  on  this  side  of  which  the  sloping  land  just 
mentioned  extends  for  several  miles  along  the  shore,  with 
a  well-cultivated  surface  spotted  in  all  directions  with 
large  barns  and  farm-houses,  to  the  rery  margin  of  the 
lake.  There  numerous  points  run  out  far  into  the  water, 
to  complete  the  labyrinths  formed  by  the  islands.  Gun- 
stock  Mountain  rises  one  point  east  of  south,  just  on  the 
left  of  which  opens  the  entrance  of  Merry-meeting  Bay. 
The  elevated  island  on  the  right  of  that  is  Rattlesnake 


HOUTE   TO   THE   WHITE    MOUNTAINS.  19 1 

island,  named  from  the  venemous  reptiles  with  which  it 
abounds  ;  over  this  the  distant  land  appears  high.  South 
by  west  rises  a  high  hill  resembling  the  Ossipee  in  the 
richness  of  its  slopes. 

The  Southwest  and  West  is  agreeably  varied  with 
wood  lots  and  cleared  fields,  scattered  over  an  undulated 
surface,  which  extends  for  many  miles,  in  some  places 
quite  to  the  horizon,  and  in  others  to  the  broken  boundary 
of  tall  but  distant  mountains.  In  the  southwest  ap 
pear  two  or  three  peaks,  so  far  removed  that  they  are 
almost  lost  in  the  blue  of  the  sky.  Nearly  west  are  seen 
several  ridges  of  inferior  magnitude,  which,  approaching 
as  the  eye  slowly  moves  towards  the  left,  at  length  come 
near  the  lake,  and  disappear  behind  the  neighbouring 
mountains. 

Long  Pond  may  be  distinguished  by  its  shining  surface 
between  the  west  and  south,  with  several  other  little 
sheets  of  water,  which  lie  in  tranquillity  under  the  shelter 
of  the  hills. 

Wmnipiseogee  Lake  is  19  miles  in  length,  from  Centre 
Harbour  to  Alton,  at  the  southeastern  extremity.  Merry- 
meeting  Bay  lies  beyond.  Several  of  the  islands  are  large, 
and  contain  good  farms  and  wealthy  inhabitants,  although 
only  two  or  three  of  them  belong  to  any  town,  or  pay  any 
taxes.  Some  of  their  names  are  Rattlesnake,  Cow ,  Bear, 
and  Moon  Island ;  also,  Half  Mile,  One  Mile,  Two  Mile 
Islands,  &c.  &c.  None  of  them  contain  churches  ;  and 
although  they  have  no  school  houses,  yet  sufficient  atten 
tion  is  paid  to  the  rudiments  of  education  to  render  the 
•children  intelligent.  Winnipiseogee  Lake,  according  to 
surveys  made  by  Mr.  Baldwin  in  1825,  is  501  feet  above 
the  ocean. 

SQUAM  LAKE  lies  west  from  Red  Mountain,  and  like 
Winnipiseogee  Lake,  abounds  not  only  in  islands,  but 
in  h'sh  of  the  finest  descriptions.  Fine  trout  are  caught 
here  in  great  abundance,  and  of  a  size  superior  to  those 
of  the  other  lake.  The  trout  of  Winnipiseogee  Lake 
vary  from  1  to  4  pounds  in  weight,  while  those  of  Squam 
Lake  are  between  4  and  10.  They  are  sometimes  caught 
<of  nearly  double  this  size ;  but  that  is  very  uncommon. 
The  trout  fishery  is  chiefly  carried  en  during  the  winter, 
17* 


192 

when  great  quantities  are  salted  for  the  Boston  market. 
Perch  also  abound  very  much  in  these  waters,  and  are  re 
markably  fine. 

The  hue  of  the  shrubbery  in  autumn  has  given  the 
mountain  its  name.  The  summit  is  strewed  with  loose 
fragments  ;  and  musquetoes  and  black  flies  often  abound 
there. 

A  few  days  may  be  spent  at  Centre  Harbour  very 
agreeably,  in  making  excursions  in  the  neighbourhood,  or 
in  sailing  upon  the  lake,  which  abounds  in  the  most  inter 
esting  variety  of  scenes.  On  leaving  this  place  by  water, 
at  the  distance  of  five  miles,  the  White  Mountains  rise 
into  view  above  the  intermediate  peaks,  and  continue  in 
sight  quite  across  the  lake. 

From  Centre  Harbour  to  Conway.  Proceeding  north 
east  from  Centre  Harbour,  you  enter  the  valley  between 
the  two  chains  of  mountains  seen  from  the  top  of  Red 
Mountain,  and  pass  through  Moultonboro'  and  Tamworth. 
The  surface  is  irregular,  and  much  of  the  land  uncleared ; 
but  settlements  have  extended  far  up  the  sides  of  some 
of  the  mountains,  and  farms  are  occasionally  discovered 
quite  at  the  top.  The  features  of  the  scenery  are  bold 
and  striking. 

Eaton  Meeting  House.  Two  miles  northwardly  from 
this,  Ossipee  Lake  may  be  seen  by  leaving  the  road. 

CONWAY,  six  miles.  The  view  of  the  White  Moun 
tains  is  very  fine  from  this  place,  presenting  a  succession 
of  lofty  ridges,  the  most  distant  of  which  are  the  peaks  of 
Mounts  Washington,  Adams,  Jefferson,  Madison,  Monroe, 
and  Quincy.  The  most  prominent  elevation  on  the  right, 
with  two  summits,  is  Kearsearge,  or  Pickwaket :  a  level 
meadow  lies  in  the  foreground  with  an  isolated,  woody 
hill  in  the  middle,  and  the  Saco  River,  which  rises  on 
Mount  Washington,  and  flows  down  a  narrow  valley,  with 
many  rneanderings. 

The  shortest  road  from  Conway  to  the  mountains  leads 
directly  to  Bartlett :  but  the  most  travelled  as  well  as  the 
most  agreeable  route  is  by  the  way  of  Fryebtirgh,  where 
•will  be  seen  the  beautiful  tract  of  level  country  through 
•which  meanders  the  Saco  River;  and  the  great  Pick 
waket  Mountain,  which  rises  from  its  border.  That  was 
the  beautiful  and  favourite  residence  of  the  nation  of  Pick- 


FRYEBURGH.  193 

waket  Indians,  and  on  the  bank  of  Level's  Pond  was 
fought  a  bloody  battle  between  them  and  a  company  of 
troops  from  Massachusetts,  in  the  year  1725 

The  Chalybeate  Spring  in  Conway  is  in  a  valley,  with 
mountains  on  every  side  except  the  southeast.  From  near 
the  church,  the  White  Mountains  are  in  sight.  Two  or 
three  miles  above,  the  Saco  valley  bends  to  the  left,  and 
Ellis's  River  comes  down  a  narrow  vale  in  front.  Up 
the  course  of  this  stream  was  formerly  a  route  by  which 
the  highest  peaks  were  ascended.  A  foot  path  leaves  it 
in  Adams,  and  goes  on  to  Shelburne,  &c.  It  is  seven 
miles  to  Bartlett. 

FRYEBURGH.  The  township  of  Fryeburgh,  in  its  ex 
tent  of  six  square  miles,  embraces  a  rich  and  beautiful 
valley,  secluded  on  every  side  by  a  wild  and  mountainous 
range  of  country.  The  Saco  river,  taking  its  rise  on 
Mount  Washington,  and  flowing  through  the  Notch  in  th« 
White  Hills,  passes  down  the  valley  to  Conway,  where  it 
finds  the  termination  of  the  southern  range  ;  and  then 
turning  abruptly  to  the  east,  soon  enters  the  charming 
meadows  of  Fryeburgh,  and  performs  a  serpentine  course 
of  no  less  than  thirty-six  miles  within  the  limits  of  the 
township. 

The  Indian  Fort  was  on  a  gentle  hill  at  the  western 
side  of  the  village,  which  commands  a  view  of  the  Saco 
valley  six  miles  up  its  course,  and  six  miles  down. 

LOVEL'S  POND  is  on  an  isthmus,  about  one  mile  south 
east  from  the  village,  and  is  memorable  as  the  scene  of 
one  of  the  most  severe  and  disastrous  battles  in  the  old 
partizan  warfare  against  the  Indians. 

The  Portland  road  passes  along  the  western  side  of  the 
pond,  and  affords  a  view  of  its  north  end.  This  was  the 
place  of  the  action.  Another  road  runs  very  near  the 
north  shore  ;  and  it  is  a  pleasant  ride  to  the  place. 

LoveVs  Expedition.  In  1725,  Captain  Lovel  under 
took  a  secret  expedition  through  the  wilderness  against 
the  Pickwaket  tribe  of  Indians,  who,  instigated  by  the 
French,  had  committed  many  depredations  on  the  fron 
tier,  so  that  the  general  court  of  Massachusetts  had  offer 
ed  one  hundred  pounds  each  for  their  scalps.  His  com 
pany  consisted  of  thirty  or  forty  men,  many  of  them 
accustomed  to  the  life  of  hardy  hunters  and  settlers,  with 


tS)4  fttlS   INUNDATION   Of   1826. 

young  Mr.  Frye  for  their  chaplain,  whose  history  waS 
somewhat  romantic,  and  from  whom  this  town  received 
its  name. 

They  passed  up  Winnip'seogee  Lake,  Ossipee  Pond^ 
the  Saco,  and  encamped  at  the  mouth  of  Mill  Brook  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  Lovel's  Pond.  It  happened  that  the 
Indians  had  gone  down  the  Saco  River,  and  on  their  re-* 
turn,  discovering  tracks,  pursued  them  towards  Lovel's 
Pond ;  and,  having  discovered  the  encampment,  and  the 
way  they  had  gone,  removed  their  packs,  and  forming  an 
ambush  around  the  place  fired  upon  them  on  their  re-1 
turn>  and  killed  eight  men.  The  white  men  retreated  to 
the  northeast  corner  of  the  pond,  where  is  a  narrow  strip 
of  land,  and  defended  themselves  till  night ;  and  the  re» 
mains  of  the  unfortunate  expedition  returned  through  the 
forest,  suffering  from  hunger  and  fatigue,  and  some  of 
them  from  wounds. 

A  tremendous  catastrophe  occurred  among  the  White 
Mountains  on  the  night  of  Aug.  28th,  1826.  A  storm 
tifrain,  unprecedented  within  the  memory  of  the  oldest 
inhabitants,  deluged  the  principal  peaks  of  the  moun* 
tains,  and  poured  such  an  inundation  upon  the  valleys  and 
plains  below,  that  it  is  commonly  attributed  to  the  "  burst* 
ing  of  a  cloud;"  although  that  expression  is  a  very  ill 
defined  one.  The  effects  produced  by  the  flood  will  re* 
main  for  centuries ;  and  as  many  of  thes  e  lie  exposed  to 
the  eye>  the  route  will  offer  many  new  objects  interesting 
to  an  intelligent  traveller. 

The  inundation  was  so  great  and  so  sudden,  that  the 
channels  of  the  streams  were  totally  insufficient  to  admit 
of  the  passage  of  the  water,  which  consequently  over* 
flowed  the  little  level  valleys  at  the  feet  of  the  mountains. 
Innumerable  torrents  immediately  formed  on  all  sides  5 
and  such  deep  trenches  were  cut  by  the  rushing  water, 
that  vast  bodies  of  earth  and  stones  fell  from  the  moun- 
tainsj  bearing  with  them  the  forests  that  had  covered 
them  for  ages.  Some  of  these  '•  slides,"  as  they  are  here 
popularly  denominated,  (known  among  the  Alps  as  "  ava 
lanches  de  ierre,")  are  supposed  to  have  been  half  a 
mile  in  breadth,  and  from  one  to  five  miles  in  length. 
Scarcely  any  natural  occurrence  can  be  imagined  more 
sublime ;  and  among  the  devastation  which  it  has  left  to 


THE   WHITE   MOUNTAINS.  195 

testify  the  power  of  the  elements,  the  traveller  will  be 
filled  with  awe  at  the  thought  of  that  Being,  by  whom  they 
are  controlled  and  directed. 

The  streams  brought  away  with  them  immense  quan 
tities  of  earth  and  sand,  which  the  turbid  water  deposit 
ed,  when  any  obstacle  threw  it  back,  in  temporary 
ponds  and  laKes.  The  forest  trees  were  also  floated 
down,  frequently  several  miles  from  the  places  where 
they  were  rooted  up.  The  timber  was  often  marked 
with  deep  grooves  and  trenches  made  by  the  rocks  which 
passed  over  them  during  their  descent  from  the  moun 
tains  ;  and  great  heaps  of  trees  were  deposited  in  some 
places,  while  in  others,  the  soil  of  the  little  meadows 
was  buried  with  earth,  sand,  or  rocks,  to  the  depth  of  seve 
ral  feet. 

The  turnpike  road  leading  through  this  romantic  coun 
try,  was  twenty  miles  in  length,  but  was  almost  en 
tirely  destroyed.  Twenty-one  of  the  twenty-three  bridges 
upon  it  were  demolished ;  one  of  them,  built  with  stone, 
cost  one  thousand  dollars.  In  some  places,  the  Saco 
river  ran  along  the  road,  and  cut  down  deep  channels. 

The  Notch  House,  (which  is  represented  in  the  print,) 
was  the  scene  of  a  most  melancholy  tragedy  on  the  night 
above  mentioned,  when  this  inundation  occurred.  Seve 
ral  days  previously  a  large  "  slide"  came  down  from  the 
mountains  behind  it,  and  passed  so  near  as  to  cause  great 
alarm,  without  any  injury  to  the  inmates.  The  house  was 
occupied  by  Mr.  Calvin  Willey,  whose  wife  was  a  young 
woman  of  a  very  interesting  character,  and  of  an  edu 
cation  not  to  be  looked  for  in  so  wild  a  region.  They 
had  a  number  of  young  children,  and  their  family  at  the 
time  included  several  other  persons,  amounting  in  all  to 
eleven.  They  were  waked  in  the  night  by  the  noise  of 
the  storm,  or  more  probably,  by  the  second  descent  of 
avalanches  from  the  neighbouring  mountains :  and  fled 
in  their  night  clothes  from  the  house  to  seek  their  safe 
ty,  but  thus  threw  themselves  in  the  way  of  destruction. 
One  of  the  slides,  100  feet  high,  stopped  within  three 
feet  of  the  house.  Another  took  away  the  barn,  and 
overwhelmed  the  family.  Nothing  was  found  of  them 
for  some  time :  their  clothes  were  lying  at  their  bed- 
Bides,  the  house  had  been  started  on  its  foundation,  by 


196  CRAWFORD'S  FARM. 

an  immense  heap  of  earth  and  timber,  which  had  slid 
down  and  stopped  as  soon  as  it  touched  it;  and  they 
had  all  been  crushed  on  leaving  the  door,  or  borne 
away  with  the  water  that  overflowed  the  meadow.  The 
bodies  of  several  of  them  were  never  found.  A  catastro 
phe  so  melancholy,  and  at  the  same  time  so  singular  in 
its  circumstances,  has  hardly  ever  occurred.  It  will  al 
ways  furnish  the  traveller  with  a  melancholy  subject  of 
reflection. 

BARTLETT  is  a  comfortable  village,  situated  in  a  rich 
valley,  or  interval,  of  about  300  acres,  where  the  view  is 
bounded  on  every  side  by  near  and  lofty  mountains.  There 
is  another  interval  among  the  mountains  westward,  which, 
although  it  contains  as  much  good  cleared  land,  has  been 
converted  into  a  common,  in  consequence  of  the  difficulty 
of  making  a  good  road  to  it.  Pursuing  still  the  course  of 
the  narrow  valley,  against  the  current  of  the  Saco,  the 
country  is  found  uncleared,  except  two  or  three  pretty 
little  meadows ;  and  destitute  of  inhabitants,  excepting 
only  three  or  four  poor  families,  until  arriving  at 

CRAWFORD'S  FARM,  seven  and  a  half  miles  south  of 
the  Notch.  Here  the  traveller  will  be  comfortably  enter 
tained.  The  water  rose  in  this  house  two  feet  in  the  flood 
of  1826.  This  is  the  place  from  which  visiters  formerly 
began  their  excursions  to  the  summit  of  the  mountains. 

Prospect  Mountain,  one  of  the  principal  peaks,  pi*e- 
sents  itself  to  view  a  little  before  arriving  at  the  first 
Crawford's,  with  its  smooth  rounded  summit  of  brown 
moss,  rising  several  hundred  feet  above  the  region  of 
vegetation,  and  offering  an  aspect  which  distinguishes 
these  from, the  other  elevations. 

The  climate  in  this  narrow  valley  is  still  so  warm  as  to 
favour  the  growth  of  various  trees  which  are  scarcely  to  be 
found  a  few  miles  further  north.  The  forests  are  here 
formed  of  spruce,  ash,  beech,  maple,  sugar  maple,  and 
Indian  corn  grows  well,  which  will  not  come  to  maturity 
beyond.  The  orchard  contains  hundreds  of  apple  trees. 

This  is  one  of  die  principal  stopping  places  for  the 
sleighs,  which  pass  the  mountains  in  great  number  during 
the  winter,  for  Portland,  Boston,  &c. 

Nancy's  Hill  is  a  small  elevation  a  few  miles  north  of 
this  place.  In  1773  a  young  woman  of  respectable  con- 


THE    WHITE     MOUNTAINS,  197 

flexions,  who  accompanied  a  family  of  settlers  to  Dart- 
mouth,  (now  Jefferson,)  set  out  in  the  winter  to  return  to 
Portsmouth,  alone  and  on  foot,  her  lover  having  promised 
to  meet  her  there  and  marry  her.  There  was  then  no 
house  nearer  than  Bartlett,  30  miles.  Nancy  was  found 
by  some  travellers  in  this  spot,  frozen  and  covered  with 
ice,  under  a  shelter  formed  of  branches  of  trees,  which 
was  the  only  shelter  to  be  found  on  the  way. 

The  Notch  House  is  situated  in  a  secluded  little  valley, 
about  5  miles  north  of  Crawford's,  and  is  the  only  build 
ing  seen  in  a  distance  of  12  miles.  It  has  sometimes  been 
uninhabited  during  the  summer  season,  though  open  to  all 
comers  :  in  the  winter  a  family  occupies  it  to  keep  a  fire, 
lodgings,  and  a  little  food,  provided  for  the  travellers  and 
wagoners,  who  might  otherwise  perish  for  want  of  the 
necessaries  of  life.  See  page  135. 

The  climate  is  so  cold,  that  the  land  was  not  worth  culti 
vating  ;  and  although  the  place  had  been  occupied  by 
several  tenants,  no  one  will  keep  the  house  in  repair,  even 
rent  free.  There  are  no  good  uplands,  the  soil  there  be 
ing  all  gravel :  and  the  climate  is  sensibly  colder  than  at 
the  last  stopping  place. 

There  is  a  place  near  the  Notch,  where  the  road  suffer 
ed  severe  injury.  It  had  been  built  up  against  the  side  of 
a  mountain,  on  a  wall  40  or  50  feet  high,  and  about  30 
yards  in  extent,  at  the  expense  of  $500.  This  whole 
fabric  was  swept  av/ay  by  a  mass  of  earth,  rocks  and  trees, 
which  came  from  a  half  a  mile  up  the  side  of  the  moun 
tain,  and,  rushing  down  at  an  angle  of  about  45  deg.  pre 
cipitated  itself  into  the  bed  of  the  Saco,  which  is  nearly 
300  feet  below. 

In  repairing  this  road  in  the  winter,  the  workmen  had 
great  difficulty  in  getting  over  the  obstructions.  They  ex 
pected  to  find  but  little  daylight  at  that  late  season  of  the 
year;  but  they  found  that  the  summits  of  the  mountains 
received  very  early  intelligence  of  morning,  and  the  snows 
reflected  it  into  the  valleys  and  ravines. 

The  road  rises  with  a  steep  ascent  for  a  considerable 
distance  before  it  reaches  the  Notch,  and  the  traveller  ob 
serves  two  cataracts,  one  pouring  down  a  precipitous 
mountain  at  a  distance  on  the  west  side  of  the  valley,  and 
the  other,  which  is  called 


198  3IOUNT    WASHINGTON. 

The  Flume,  rushing  down  on  the  right  hand}  ant! 
crossing  the  road  under  a  bridge.  The  scenery  is  sub 
lime  and  impressive  beyond  description.  Just  beyond  is 
another  Flume. 

About  150  yards  beyond  is  the  first  great  slide  seen  in 
coming  from  the  Notch. 

The  Notch  is  so  narrow  as  to  allow  only  room  enough 
for  the  path  and  the  Saco,  which  is  here  a  mere  brook 
only  four  feet  in  breadth.  It  is  remarkable  that  the  Saco 
and  the  Ammonoosuc  spring  from  fountains  on  Mount 
Washington,  within,  perhaps,  60  yards  of  each  other, 
though  the  former  empties  into  the  Atlantic,  and  the  latter 
joins  Connecticut  River.  Another  branch  of  the  Ammo 
noosuc  approaches  the  Saco  in  one  place,  within  about 
600  yards.  They  are  both  crossed  beyond  the  Notch. 
The  head  waters  of  the  Merrimack  rise  within  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  of  this  place  ;  and  run  down  a  long  ravine, 
little  less  remarkable  than  that  of  the  Saco. 

A  road  was  first  made  through  the  Notch  in  1785.  It 
was  50  or  60  feet  higher  than  the  present  turnpike,  and  so 
steep  that  it  was  necessary  to  draw  horses  and  wagons  up 
with  ropes.  The  assessment  for  the  turnpike  was  made 
in  1806. 

Two  rocks  stand  at  the  sides  of  this  remarkable  pas 
sage,  one  20,  and  the  other  about  30  feet,  in  perpendicu 
lar  height.  They  are  about  20  feet  asunder,  at  6  or  7 
yards  from  the  north  end ;  where  they  open  to  30  feet. 
The  part  which  appears  to  have  been  cut  through  is  about 
120  feet  long.  A  little  meadow  opens  beyond ;  where  is 
an  inn,  at  which  the  traveller  is  advised  to  stop. 

This  is  the  place  where  those  who  meditate  the  ascent 
of  Mount  Washington,  will  stop  for  a  day  or  more.  The 
master  of  the  house  will  furnish  a  guide. 

Mount  Washington.  The  ascent  of  the  mountain  was 
formerly  a  most  arduous  undertaking,  and  was  very  rarely 
performed,  but  several  ladies  have  lately  been  enumerated 
among  those  who  have  gained  the  summit  The  whole 
way  lies  through  a  perfect  forest.  The  first  four  miles  are 
over  a  surface  comparatively  level;  but  the  last  two  miles 
and  a  quarter  are  up  an  ascent  not  differing  much  from 
an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees. 


THE  WHITE  MOUNTAINS  199 

The  time  to  perform  the  different  parts  of  this  excur 
sion  may  be  estimated  as  follows  1 

To  the  base  of  Mount  Washington,  4  miles,  1  hour; 
thence  to  the  summit,  2  miles  and  93  rods.  2  or  2^  hours  ; 
returning  from  the  summit  to  the  base,  1£  hours  ;  thence  to 
the  inn,  1  hour. 

The  streams  of  the  Ammonoosuc  River,  which  are  to 
be  crossed  seven  times,  show  the  ravages  of  the  inunda 
tion  of  1826. 

The  CVzmp.^-Here  provisions  of  different  kinds  will  be 
produced,  and  even  cooked  by  a  cheerful  fire ;  and  if  the 
travellers  are  sportsmen,  and  the  season  is  favourable,  a 
dish  of  tine  trout  may  soon  be  obtained  from  the  romantic 
little  stream  which  dashes  by  within  twenty  yards  of  the 
encampment. 

The  ascent  of  Mount  Washington  is  laborious,  and  the 
most  arduous  exertion  will  be  necessary  to  attain  the 
summit,  which  seems  to  fly  before  the  stranger  when  he 
deems  it  just  attained,  and  to  look  down  in  derision  from 
a  new  and  more  hopeless  height.  The  first  part  of  the 
way  is  through  a  thick  forest  of  heavy  timber,  which  is 
suddenly  succeeded  by  a  girdle  of  dwarf  and  gnarled  fir 
trees,  10  or  15  feet  high,  and  80  rods,  or  about  450  yards 
broad ;  which,  ending  as  suddenly  as  they  began,  give 
place  to  a  kind  of  short  bushes,  and  finally  a  thin  bed  of 
moss,  not  half  sufficient  to  conceal  the  immense  granite 
rocks  which  deform  the  surface.  For  more  than  a  mile, 
the  surface  is  entirely  destitute  of  trees.  A  few  strag 
gling  spiders,  and  several  species  of  little  flowering  plants, 
are  the  only  objects  that  attract  the  attention,  under  the 
feet. 

The  following  heights  are  stated  to  be  those  of  the 
different  peaks,  above  the  level  of  the  Connecticut  River 
at  Lancaster : 

Washington,  5,350  ;  Jefferson,  5,261 ;  Adams,  5,183  ; 
Madison,  5,039  ;  Monroe,  4,932  ;  Quincy,  4,470. 

Mount  Washington  is  believed  to  be  more  than  6,400 
feet  above  the  ocean. 

In  a  clear  atmosphere  the  view  is  sublime,  and  almost 

boundless.     The  finest  part  of  it  is  towards  the  southeast 

and  south.     Looking  down  the  valley,  through  which  the 

road  has  conducted  us,  a  fine  succession  of  mountainous 

18 


200  VIEW   FROM   MOUNT   WASHINGTON. 

summits  appear  for  many  miles,  extending  below  the  bright 
surface  of  Winipiseogee  Lake. 

Towards  the  southeast  also,  the  eye  ranges  over  an  ex 
tent  of  surface,  which  quite  bewilders  the  mind.  Moun 
tains,  hills,  and  valleys,  farm-houses,  villages,  and  towns, 
add  their  variety  to  the  natural  features  of  the  country ; 
and  the  ocean  may  be  discovered  at  the  horizon  with  the 
help  of  a  telescope,  although  the  sharpest  sight  perhaps 
has  never  been  able  to  distinguish  it  without  such  assist 
ance.  In  that  direction  lies  Portland,  the  capital  of 
Maine  ;  and  nearer,  Lovel's  Pond. 

On  the  northeast  is  seen  the  valley  of  the  Androscog- 
gin  River,  which  abounds  in  wild  and  romantic  scenery, 
and  was  the  usual  passage  by  which  the  Indians,  in  their 
hostile  incursions  from  Canada,  used  to  approach  the 
eastern  frontier  settlements  of  Massachusetts  and  New- 
Hampshire.  Beyond,  are  the  Ktardiri  Hills,  near  the 
extremity  of  Maine. 

North,  the  country  is  more  wild  and  uncultivated  ; 
and  Umbagog  Lake  is  seen,  from  which  flows  the  An- 
droscoggin. 

West,  the  nearer  view  is  over  a  mountainous  region, 
covered  with  a  thick  forest,  through  which  only  an  occa 
sional  opening  is  perceived,  formed  by  the  farms  (or 
clearings)  of  the  hardy  inhabitants.  Beyond,  the  hills  are 
seen  to  rise  from  the  opposiie  shore  of  Connecticut  River, 
the  surface  of  which  is  everywhere  hidden  from  view, 
and  the  summits,  rising  higher  and  higher,  terminate  in 
the  ridges  of  the  Green  Mountains  in  Vermont. 

South-westerly  is  seen  the  Grand  Monad  nock. 

The  Indians  knew  the  White  Mountains  by  the  name 
of  Agiocochook,  and  regarded  them  as  inaccessible,  or  at 
least  represented  them  so  to  white  men. 

The  Lake  of  the  Clouds  is  a  little  pond,  near  the 
summit  of  Mount  Monroe,  of  beautiful  clear  water ;  and 
supplies  the  head  stream  of  the  Ammonoosuc  River.  This 
little  current  immediately  begins  its  descent,  and  dashes 
in  a  headlong  course  of  several  thousand  feet,  into  the 
valley  near  the  encampment.  ' 

Loose  fragments  of  granite  are  everywhere  scattered 
over  the  mountain,  with  some  specimens  of  gneiss.  The 
granite  is  generally  gray,  and  at  first  fine-grained,  but 


THE   WHITE    MOUNTAINS.  201 

grows  coarser  as  we  ascend,  and  is  occasionally  sprinkled 
with  small  garnets.  At  the  summit  it  frequently  contains 
a  little  black  tourmaline,  sometimes  in  crossing  crystals. 
On  the  summit,  also,  some  of  the  granite  is  tinged  with 
red,  although  much  of  it  is  coloured  bright  green  by  lich 
ens,  dampened  by  the  humidity  of  the  clouds,  and  inter 
spersed  with  thick  and  soft  gray  moss.  The  grain  of  the 
coarse  granite  is  elongated;  and  what  strikes  the  visiter 
as  very  singular,  is,  that  not  a  single  rock  is  to  be  found 
in  its  original  place — every  thing  bears  the  ma^k  of  re 
moval  ;  and  this,  taken  into  view  with  the  precipice  on 
the  northern  side,  seems  to  indicate  that  the  summit  of 
the  mountain  has  fallen  down  and  disappeared. 

General  Remarks. — All  travellers  of  taste  and  leisure 
will  be  desirous  of  spending  some  time  among  the  impres 
sive  scenery  of  these  stupendous  mountains. 

Although  the  peaks  of  Ktardin  and  Speckled  Mountain, 
in  Maine,  have  been,  by  some,  compared  with  Mount 
Washington,  it  has  been  done  on  mere  conjecture,  and 
with  little  appearance  of  probability.  The  general  belief 
now  seems  to  be,  that  the  lofty  peak  above  us  is  the  high 
est  elevation  in  North  America,  except  Mexico,  and  some 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  inhospitable  nature  of  the 
climate  is  such  as  to  forbid  all  hopes  of  future  improve 
ment  ;  so  that  the  feeling  of  sublimity,  produced  by  the 
lonely  and  desolate  character  of  this  desert  region,  is  in 
creased  by  the  reflection,  that  it  is  destined  to  be  a  wil 
derness  for  ever. 

The  only  places  susceptible  of  cultivation  in  the  heart 
of  the  mountains,  are  the  little  meadows  inhabited  by  sin 
gle  families,  and  that  at  the  "  Notch  House;"11  and  there 
the  interval  of  warm  weather  is  so  short  in  the  year,  that 
few  vegetables  can  arrive  at  maturity,  with  all  the  rapidity 
of  growth  v/hich  distinguishes  such  cold  regions.  Indeed, 
the  shortness  and  uncertainty  of  crops,  with  the  expense 
of  keeping  stock,  &c.  would  scarcely  allow  the  farmer  a 
support,  without  the  advantages  afforded  by  the  thorough 
fare,  which  is  particularly  great  during  the  winter  season. 
Population,  therefore,  may  extend  to  the  borders  of  these 
regions,  and  increase,  as  it  does,  on  every  side;  but  it 
cannot  pass  the  limit,  because  it  cannot  contend  with  their 
coldness  and  sterilitv. 


202  ROADS. 

Various  kinds  of  wild  birds  and  game  arc  to  be  found 
in  the  woods,  besides  bears,  wild  cats,  and  deer.  The 
moose  and  buffalo  were  formerly  abundant  among  the 
mountains  ;  and  it  is  scarcely  thirty  years  since  they  were 
killed  in  great  numbers,  merely  for  their  hides  and  tallow; 
as  the  latter  still  are  in  the  deserts  beyond  the  Mississippi. 
Deer  are  common  in  the  woods,  and  frequently  are  killed, 
by  the  hunters.  Sometimes  they  come  boldly  down  into 
the  little  meadow  before  Ethan  Crawford's  house,  and 
quietly  graze  with  the  cattle.  Black  bears  are  occasion 
ally  seen  in  the  more  unfrequented  places,  but  they  will 
always  endeavour  to  avoid  a  man  A  large  species  of 
elk,  here  known  by  the  name  of  the  Cariboo,  has  made 
its  appearance  in  the  White  Mountains  within  a  few 
years,  but  they  are  still  very  scarce  in  this  part  of  the 
country. 

The  weather  is  liable  to  frequent  changes  in  the  moun 
tainous  region,  which  is  partly  owing  to  the  vicinity  of  the 
Notch,  through  which  the  wind  blows,  almost  without 
ceasing,  even  when  the  air  is  perfectly  still  at  only  a  short 
distance  from  it  From  the  situation  of  the  mountains., 
it  is  impossible  that  the  direction  of  the  wind  should  vary 
materially  in  the  valley ;  and  it  is  therefore,  of  course,  al 
ways  north  or  south.  During  the  winter  it  is  often  very 
violent,  so  that  not  only  the  snow  is  prevented  from  lying 
on  the  path  at  the  Notch  ;  but  the  surface  is  swept  of 
every  thing  that  a  strong  wind  can  remove. 

The  summits  of  the  mountains  are  frequently  invested 
with  mist,  when  the  sky  is  clear;  and  those  only  who  in 
habit  the  vicinity,  are  able  to  tell  whether  the  day  is  to  be 
favourable  for  the  ascent.  The  mists  sometimes  collect 
in  the  valleys,  and  then  present  some  of  the  most  singular 
and  beautiful  appearances. 

ROADS.    There  are  two  roads  hence  to  Connecticut  Ri 
ver ;  one  over  Cherry  Mountain  (quite  laborious)  to  Lan 
caster;  the  other  shorter,  through   Breton  Woods,  Beth 
lehem  and  Littleton,  (rough  and  stony,)  to  Bath,  34  miles* 
[See  Index  ] 


503 


ROUTE  FROM  BOSTON  TO  MAINE. 


Steam  Navigation  extends  from  Boston  to  Portland^ 
iBath,  Eastport,  and  about  40  miles  to  Augusta  in  another 
direction,  128  miles.  Railroad  (144  m.)  through  Lynn  10$ 
Salem  5,  Beverly  2,  Rowley  13,  Newburyport  3,  East 
Kingston,  N.  H.  11.  Stagecoaches  to  Exeter  4,  Portsmouth 
14.  York,  (Maine)  9,  Wells  15,  Kennebunk  Point  6, 
Saco  10,  Portland  16. 

Do.  by  Steamboats,  126  m.  Nahant  10,  Marblehead 
6,  Salem  3,  Gloucester  8,  Cape  Ann,  10,  Newbury  16, 
Boar's  Head  Point  7,  Portsmouth  12,  York  5,  Kenne-* 
bunk  12,  Fletcher's  Neck  12,  Cape  Elizabeth  13,  Port 
land  10. 

The  boats  go  about  100  miles  a  day,  and  pass  so  near 
the  shore  as  to  afford  many  interesting  views  of  the^nu* 
merous  islands,  points,  and  bays,  which  abound  along  the 
coast. 

The)  8  are  coaches  going  to  Salem  every  hour  in  the 
morning  and  forenoon  ;  and  it  may,  perhaps,  be  convenient 
to  take  a  seat  in  one  of  them,  as  Salem  is  well  worthy  of 
at  least  a  day's  delay.  Indeed,  if  convenient,  the  stranger 
would  be  gratified  with  several  rides  in  the  vicinity  of  that 
place,  particularly  to  Marblehead. 

LYNN,  9  miles  from  Boston,  This  town  is  devoted  to 
making  shoes;  great  numbers  of  which  are  annually  ex 
ported.  Each  house,  almost  without  exception,  has  a 
little  shop  connected  with  it,  in  which  the  men  and  boys 
employ  themselves  in  this  manufacture. 

The  Lynn  Beach,  of  which  mention  has  before  been 
made,  is  in  this  [.own,  and  lies  on  the  way  to  the  fashion- 
able  retreat  at  Nahant.  It  is  of  hard  sand,  offering  an 
excellent  natural  road,  but  is  impassable  at  high  water* 
The  bay  on  which  it  looks  is  one  of  the  places  where  the 
famous  sea  serpent  was  seen  several  years  ago. 

The  country  beyond  is  rather  hilly  and  uninteresting  } 
but  the  road  is  good. 

BEVERLY  is  a  town  which  joins  Salem  so  closely,  as 
apparently  to  form  a  part  of  it.  It  has  a  long  street 
through  which  we  pass,  nearly  at  the  foot  of  a  high,  bary 


204  SALEM. 

ren  hill.  This  eminence  is  remarkable  in  the  history  of 
witchcraft ;  as  it  is  the  spot  where  numerous  persons  con 
demned  for  that  crime,  in  Salem,  were  executed. 

SALEM.  This  is  one  of  the  most  populous,  wealthy, 
and  beautiful  towns  in  New-England.  It  was  one  of 
the  earliest  settlements  made  in  Massachusetts  Bay  J  and 
the  planting  of  the  colony  is  annually  celebrated.  Go 
vernor  Endicott,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  indivi 
duals  in  the  early  history  of  this  part  of  the  country,  re 
sided  here. 

Salem  was  for  many  years  engaged  in  an  extensive  and 
lucrative  commerce,  particularly  with  China  ;  and  the 
appearance  of  the  town  is  sufficient  to  show  lhat  it  still 
contains  a  great  deal  of  wealth.  The  harbour  is  fine,  and 
the  wharves  still  well  supplied  with  stores.  The  streets 
are  generally  too  narrow  ;  but  the  banks,  insurance  offices, 
and  churches,  are  many  of  them  handsome  buildings.  The 
Square  is  a  large  and  beautiful  tract  of  ground,  near  the 
centre  of  the  town.  About  it  are  seen  many  of  the  finest 
private  buildings  in  the  place. 

The  Marine  Museum  is  an  institution  highly  creditable 
to  the  town,  under  an  association  of  respectable  nautical 
and  commercial  individuals,  formed  for  the  purpose  of 
making  useful  observations,  and  collecting  curiosities 
from  all  quarters  of  the  world.  No  one  can  become  a 
member  who  has  not  doubled  Cape  Horn,  or  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  either  as  master  or  supercargo  of  a  vessel  ; 
and  each  of  them  is  supplied  with  a  journal,  in  which  he 
is  to  note  down  such  remarks  as  he  thinks  important, 
during  his  voyages.  These  are  submitted  to  the  inspec 
tion  of  a  committee;  and  the  curiosities  brought  home 
are  deposited  in  a  handsome  building  belonging  to  the 
society,  which  is  well  worthy  the  particular  attention  of 
strangers. 

Access  is  readily  gained  by  application  to  any  of  the 
members  ;  this  extensive  and  highly  interesting  cabinet 
being  closed  only  for  the  purpose  of  security,  and  no  fee 
being  required  for  admission.  The  room  is  large,  well 
lighted,  and  filled  with  curiosities  from  all  quarters  of  the 
world,  and  many  specimens  belonging  to  all  the  branches 
of  natural  history.  The  arrangement  is  made  with  great 


FROM  BOSTON  TO  MAINE.  205 

taste,  and  several  hourst  or  indeed  days,  will  hardly  be 
sufficient  for  an  examination  of  all  it  contains. 

The  following  Hues  were  written  after  a  visit  to  this  in- 
eresting  Institution,  by  Beltrami,  a  distinguished  scientific 
traveller,  in  the  year  1827. 

"  Siste  Viator!  Siste,  mirare  !  est  Orbis  in  urbe, 
"  Et  prosbet  pulchrurn  cuncta  tniranda  Salem. — 
"Obstupui,  hie  Superum,  nine  hominum   prodigia  vidi, 
"Pontus,  Magna  Parens,  Ignis  et  Ipse  favent. — 
"Oh  America:  Oh,  felix  tellus,  populusque  beatus ! 
"  Quam  nobis  tollunt  dant  tibi  fata  vicem. — 

MARBLEHEAD.  There  is  a  good  road  to  this  town, 
which  stands  at  the  end  of  a  rocky  promontory,  4  miles 
southeast  from  Salem.  It  is  principally  inhabited  by 
fishermen,  whose  manner  of  life  precludes,  in  a  great  de 
gree,  the  intellectual  improvement  generally  so  character 
istic  of  New-England.  The  harbour  is  a  small  bay,  pro 
tected  by  barren  rocks,  and  affords  shelter  to  the  numer 
ous  fishing  schooners  employed  in  the  Cod  fishery.  The 
men  and  boys  are  absent  from  home  a  great  part  of  the 
year;  as  each  vessel  usually  makes  three  fishing  voyages, 
or  ''fares,"  as  they  are  here  called,  every  season.  They 
lie  on  the  Banks  until  they  have  caught  a  load  of  fish, 
which  are  opened  and  salted  as  soon  as  taken.  The  ves 
sels  then  return,  and  the  fish  are  spread  to  dry  on  wooden 
frames,  called  flakes  ;  great  numbers  of  which  will  be  seen 
on  the  shore.  A  few  vessels  still  go  to  the  Labrador 
coast  for  fish.  There  is  a  fort  at  the  extremity  of  the 
town,  which  commands  the  entrance  to  the  harbour,  and 
affords  a  view  of  many  miles  over  the  neighbouring  sheets 
of  water.  The  islands  at  the  entrance  of  Salem  are  wild 
and  rocky  ;  and  the  sea  breaks  over  them  with  violence  in 
an  easterly  storm.  Towards  the  south  are  seen  several 
headlands  of  this  iron-bound  coast;  which,  for  a  great 
extent,  even  down  to  the  extremity  of  Massachusetts, 
must  have  appeared  one  of  the  most  inhospitable  to  the 
pilgrims,  who  began  their  settlements  on  this  part  of  New- 
England. 

NKWBURYPORT.  Stage  House,  or  Merrimack  Hotel, 
on  the  hill.  This  is  a  large,  and  to  a  considerable  extent, 


30G  AMESBURY. 

a  regularly  built  town,  38  miles  from  Boston.  The  gfeatef 
part  of  it  lies  in  squares,  and  the  best  streets  are  entirely 
of  brick.  What  is  commonly  called  Newburyport,  how* 
ever,  is  composed  of  two  distinct  towns.  The  original 
township  of  Newbury  includes  that  part,  which  reaches 
to  within  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  shore;  and  the) 
test  is  all  which  is  properly  speaking  called  Newbury 
port. 

The  harbour  is  fine,  and  the  place  once  enjoyed  a  brisk 
and  lucrative  commerce. 

The  bridge  over  the  Merrimack,  is  a  most  beautiful 
structure,  its  length  is  1000  feet;  and  it  has  four  arches 
and  a  drawbridge,  on  the  side  towards  the  town.  The 
arches  are  supported  by  twelve  chains,  carried  over  four 
towers  in  the  form  of  pyramids,  31  feet  above  high  water 
mark  The  bases  of  these  towers  are  of  hewn  stone,  40 
by  30  feet,  built  on  timber,  each  with  a  breakwater  up  the 
stream.  The  chains,  separately,  are  strong  enough  to 
bear  22  tons.  The  bridge,  with  the  road  to  Newburyport) 
cost  $66,000. 

HAMPTON,  10  miles.  At  Hampton  Beach  is  a  good 
hotel,  which  commands  an  agreeable  view  upon  the  ocean, 
and  the  shore  about  the  Boar's  Head. 

PORTSMOUTH,  62  miles  from  Boston)  58  from  Portland. 
The  environs  of  the  town  show  many  neat  and  pleasant 
houses  of  wood ;  and  the  middle  part  of  it  is  principally 
of  brick,  with  some  handsome  public  buildings,  although 
the  streets  are  generally  too  narrow.  It  has  been  a  place 
of  much  commerce.  The  Navy  Yard,  on  an  island  op 
posite  the  town,  contains  two  large  ship  buildings,  one  foi1 
frigates  and  the  other  for  line-of-battle  ships, 

The  bridge  across  the  Piscataqua,  leads  into  the  state 
of  Maine,  which  was,  until  within  twenty  years,  a  dis* 
irict  of  Massachusetts.  The  current  is  very  strong.  The 
navy  yard  is  seen  on  the  east,  with  the  ship  houses,  &c« 

AMESBURY  is  a  manufacturing  place  on  the  PowoW 
river,  3  miles  from  Newburyport.  The  river  is  made  to 
drain  several  ponds  by  an  arched  tunnel  made  through  a 
hill  about  a  century  ago. 

The  country  on  this  road  is  of  a  gently  rolling  form, 
generally  very  poor,  without  trees,  and  changing  only 
from  sand  to  rocks. 


FROM   BOSTON    TO    MAINE.  207 

YORK.  There  are  some  pleasant  fields  about  this  little 
place,  but  its  size  is  insignificant,  when  contrasted  with  the 
anticipations  formed  of  its  destiny  at  the  time  of  its  first 
settlement:  for  the  ground  was  laid  out  for  a  city,  and  the 
divisions  of  the  land  still  retain  much  of  the  regular  form 
given  it  by  the  first  surveyors. 

The  Nubble  is  a  rocky  point,  4£  miles  from  York, 
with  a  cluster  of  miserable  huts  in  the  rear,  called,  in 
derision,  the  city,  or  metropolis  of  Cape  Neddock,  from 
a  point  of  that  name  still  further  on. 

While  travelling  along  this  dreary  country,  near  the 
road  passes  the  site  of  an  old  fort  or  block  house,  built 
before  Philip's  war. 

The  Agamenticus  Hills  form  a  range  some  distance 
west. 

LOWER  WELLES.  There  is  a  little  harbour  here,  de 
fended  by  a  sand  bar,  with  a  narrow  entrance  under  a 
rock ;  but  it  is  almost  dry  at  low  water. 

WELLES.  The  sea  often  breaks  beautifully  on  the 
beach,  in  front  of  the  tavern.  Porpoise  Point  is  just  dis 
tinguishable  in  the  northeast ;  and  the  view  of  the  sea  is 
fine  and  refreshing. 

Three  miles  beyond  is  Breakneck  Hill,  over  which  falls 
a  small  stream,  from  the  height  of  30  feet,  about  40  yards 
from  the  path. 

The  Fort  was  half  a  mile  beyond,  or  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
north  from  the  church. 

This  little  fortress  was  once  attacked  by  500  Indians, 
who  at  first  supposed,  as  was  the  fact,  that  the  men  were 
absent  from  home.  The  place  was,  however,  very  brave 
ly  and  successfully  defended  by  five  women,  who  put  on 
their  husbands'  clothes. 

KENNEBUNK,  25  miles  from  Portland,  is  a  small  place, 
which  once  carried  on  a  considerable  lumber  trade  with 
the  West  Indies. 

SACO,  fifteen  miles  from  Portland.  Just  south  of  this 
village  is  the  mouth  of  the  Saco,  which  rises  on  Mount 
Washington.  Cutts's  Island  of  75  acres  divides  the  stream, 
just  at  the  falls. 

PORTLAND,  15  miles,  The  situation  of  this  place  is 
remarkably  fine,  occupying  the  ridge  and  side  of  u  high 
point  of  land  with  a  handsome,  though  shallow  bay,  on  one 


208  PORTLAND. 

side,  and  the  harbour  on  the  other.  The  anchorage  is 
protected  on  every  side  by  land,  the  water  is  deep,  and  the 
communication  with  the  sea  direct  and  convenient.  Con 
gress-street  runs  along  the  ridge  of  the  hill,  and  contains 
a  number  of  very  elegant  private  houses.  There  is  also 
the  Town  Hall,  with  the  market  below,  and  a  beautiful 
new  church,  with  granite  columns.  The  steps  are  fine 
blocks  of  granite,  6  feet  by  9,  brought  from  the  quarry  at 
Brunswick,  22  miles  distant. 

From  the  Observatory,  south  and  southwest,  are  se 
veral  distant  eminences :  among  others,  the  Agamenticus 
Hills  ;  northwest  are  seen,  in  clear  weather,  the  lofty 
ridges  and  peaks  of  the  White  Hills  in  New-Hampshire, 
which  are  discovered  at  sea,  often  before  the  nearer  land 
appears  in  sight. 

Cape  Elizabeth  is  the  high  land  on  the  south  side  of 
the  harbour ;  and  the  islands,  which  nearly  close  its  en 
trance,  are  called  Bangs's  and  House  Islands.  Fort 
Preble  stands  on  the  former,  and  Fort  Scammel,  only  a 
block  house,  on  the  latter.  Due  east  is  Seguin  Light 
House,  which  is  visible  in  clear  weather,  32  miles  distant, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec.  Nearer,  and  in  the  same 
quarter,  lie  numerous  islands  of  various  forms. 

The  intrenchments  on  the  hill,  west  of  the  Observatory, 
belong  to  Fort  Sumner,  and  part  of  them  were  made  in 
the  Revolutionary  war.  Under  the  bluff,  on  the  water's 
edge,  is  Fort  Burroughs. 

PORTLAND  (the  former  name  was  Falmouth)  was  burnt 
in  the  Revolutionary  war  by  Capt.  Mowatt,  in  the  British 
sloop  of  War  Canceau,  on  the  18th  of  October,  1775,  on 
the  refusal  of  the  inhabitants  to  deliver  up  their  arms. 
About  130  houses,  three  quarters  of  all  the  place  con 
tained,  were  consumed,  some  being  set  on  fire  with  brands, 
after  a  cannonade  and  bombardment  of  nine  hours.  The 
old  church  is  among  the  buildings  saved,  and  has  the 
mark  of  a  cannon  shot  in  it.  A  small  part  of  Mitchell's 
hotel  belonged  to  one  of  the  houses  not  destroyed. 

There  are  some  fine  stores  and  dwelling  houses  in  the 
middle  of  the  town,  and  the  shore  is  lined  with  wharves 
and  shipping.  There  is  a  small  Museum. 

Remarks  to  the  Traveller  at  Portland.  Boston 
coaches  leave  here  every  morning. 


ROUTES    IN   MAINE.  209 

The  communication  with  Dover,  Concord,  &c.  is  easy, 
and  the  traveller  going  in  that  direction  is  referred  to  the 
index  for  those  and  other  places  in  his  way.  He  may 
take  the  route  to  the  White  Hills  by  Fryeburgh ;  the  road 
leads  through  a  v/ild  and  thinly  populated  country,  but  is 
not  devoid  of  interest.  The  stagecoach  reaches  Conway 
in  a  day  by  this  route,  passing  through  Gorham,  Standish, 
Baldwin,  Hiram,  and  Fryeburgh. 

The  eastern  and  northeastern  routes  only,  remain  to 
be  spoken  of.  The  road  along  the  sea  coast  is  more  un 
interesting,  passing  over  a  rocky  soil,  and  is  recommended 
in  going  from  Portland.  The  upper  road  leads  through 
a  considerable  extent  of  fertile  country,  indeed  the  garden 
of  Maine,  and  shows  several  pleasant  and  flourishing  vil 
lages,  by  which  it  may  be  more  agreeable  to  return. 

Remarks  on  the  Country  Northeast  from  Portland. 
In  consequence  of  the  position,  the  climate,  and  soil  of 
Maine,  the  improvement  of  the  country  has  been  much 
retarded.  Settlements  were  made  on  the  coast  as  early 
as  1607,  and  several  others  not  long  afterwards ;  but 
they  suffered  severely  in  the  Indian  wars  ;  and  their  vi 
cinity  to  the  French  mission",  which  embraced  all  the 
eastern  part  of  the  present  state,  exposed  them  to  immi 
nent  danger.  In  later  times  the  population  was  princi 
pally  confined  to  the  sea  coast,  for  the  convenience  of 
fishing  and  commerce;  and  thus  the  good  land,  which  lies 
some  distance  back  in  the  country,  was  almost  entirely 
neglected.  After  the  Revolutionary  war,  this  extensive 
region  remained  in  the  condition  of  a  district  belonging  to 
Massachusetts.  In  1820,  it  was  received  into  the  Union 
as  a  separate  state;  and  agriculture  having  been  intro 
duced,  the  emigration  from  the  neighbouring  states  has 
rapidly  swelled  its  population. 

In  travelling  in  Maine,  the  stranger  observes  the  same 
order  of  things  as  in  the  interior  of  New-York,  Ohio,  and 
other  parts  of  the  country,  which  are  fast  improving.  It 
is  but  a  few  years  since  agriculture  was  almost  unknown 
here,  and  now  the  interior  region  between  the  Kennebec 
and  Penobscot  rivers  is  well  peopled,  and  presents  a  scene 
of  rural  cultivation  and  prosperity  rarely  equalled.  That 
is  of  course  the  most  attractive  route  for  the  traveller ; 
and  the  road  from  Portland  lies  through  Augusta  and 


210  STEAMBOATS. 

Hallowell.  Those  who  are  going  to  New-Brunswick, 
&o.  are  advised  to  take  this  route,  unless  they  prefer  thfi 
less  fatiguing  mode  of  travelling  in  the  steamboat. 

Most  persons  going  eastward  from  Portland,  will  wish 
to  return;  and  the  brief  tour  which  we  shall  give  will  be 
planned  for  their  convenience  and  pleasure,  by  proceeding 
first  along  the  sea  coast,  and  then  returning  through  the 
fine  tract  of  country  in  the  interior. 

It  may  be  proper  here  to  mention,  that  two  roads  have 
been  projected  to  Quebec ;  one  by  the  river  Kennebec, 
and  the  other  by  the  Penobscot.  At  present  there  are  no 
roads  through  the  northern  wilderness,  though  a  commu 
nication  has  been  kept  up  that  way  for  several  years,  and 
herds  of  cattle  are  occasionally  driven  into  Canada.  The 
hardy  and  enterprising  traveller  may,  perhaps,  be  willing 
to  encounter  the  inconvenience  of  lodging  in  the  open  air, 
and  such  fare  as  the  wilderness  affords  ;  but  few  will  at 
tempt  the  route  for  pleasure,  until  the  intended  improve 
ments  shall  have  been  made. 

The  distances  of  the  principal  places  on  the  routes 
from  Portland  are  as  follows : 

Routes  from  Portland.  To  Boston,  see  page  203.  To 
the  White  Hills  and  Connecticut  river,  by  daily  stage 
coaches,  Westbrook,  Gotham,  Standish,  Baldwin,  Hiram, 
Brownsfield,  Fryeburgh,  Con  way,  (from  Portland  62  m.) 
Bartlett,  Hart's  Location,  Old  Crawford's  Notch  House, 
Notch,  Notch  Meadow,  E.  A.  Crawford's.  Thence  two 
roads  ;  one  to  Lancaster,  and  the  other  through  Nash  and 
Sawyer's  Location,  by  Rosebrook's,  in  Britton  Woods, 
and  through  Littleton  to  Bethlehem,  48  miles  from  Con- 
way. 

From  Portland  to  Quebec,  258  miles.  N.  Yarmouth, 
12  ;  Freeport,  6  ;  Brunswick,  9  ;  Bowdoinham,  13  ;  Gard* 
ner,  11;  Hallowell,  4;  Augusta,  3;  Sidney,  12;  Water- 
ville,  5  ;  Norridgewock,  16  ;  Solon,  20  ;  Moscow,  13 ; 
Kennebec  river,  17 ;  Monumet,  48  ;  St.  Joseph,  54 ;  St. 
Henry,  28  ;  Quebec,  12. 

From  Portland  to  Eastport,  231  miles.  Brunswick, 
(as  above,)  27 ;  Bath,  7;  Wiscasset,  15;  Waldoborough, 
18  ;  Warren,  9  ;  Thomaston,  4;  Camden,  11  ;  Belfast,  18  ; 
Castine,  (in  a  boat,)  9;  Bluehill,  10;  Ellsworth,  14  j 


ROUTES    IN    MAINE.  211 

Franklin,  12  ;  Cherryfield,  20  ;  Columbia,  12  ;  Machias, 
15  ;  Whiting,  15  ;  Eastport,  15. 

Travelling  round  to  the  head  of  Casco  Bay,  you  pasa 
through  North  Yarmouth  and  Freeport,  and  arrive  at 
Brunswick,  26  miles.  This  is  the  site  of  Bowdoin  Col 
lege,  the  principal  institution  of  the  state. 

There  is  a  fall  on  the  Androscoggin  river  at  this  place; 
bolow  which  booms  are  extended  across  to  keep  together 
the  lumber  which  is  brought  down  every  season  in  great 
quantities. 

The  whole  road  from  Portland  to  Bath,  thirty-four 
miles,  lies  along  the  coast,  where  the  soil  is  rocky  and 
poor. 

BATH  is  a  town  of  considerable  trade,  situated  on  the 
Kennebec,  at  the  distance  of  sixteen  miles  from  the  sea, 
Here  are  several  public  buildings,  and  among  the  rest 
two  banks. 

WOOLWICH  is  opposite  Bath. 

WISCASSET,  14  miles  from  Bath.  This  is  one  of  the 
principal  ports  of  the  state,  and  has  an  excellent  harboux 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Sheepscot  River. 

Sta.gecoaches  run  north  to  Bangor,  on  the  Penobscot, 
They  pass  through  Newcastle,  Nobleborough,  Waldobo- 
rough,  Union,  Appleton,  Searsmont,  and  Belmont.  There 
are  two  branch  lines  :  one  to  Thomastown  through  War- 
ren;  and  another  to  Hamden,  through  Camden,  Lincoln* 
shire,  Notthport,  Belfast,  Swanville,  and  Frankfort. 

From  Wiscasset  to  Damascotta  is  rough  and  rocky ', 
but  the  ride  presents  many  interesting  views,  as  the  land 
scape  is  continually  changing,  and  is  often  varied  by  the 
sight  of  Damascotta  River,  and  several  beautiful  little 
lakes  or  ponds. 

BOOTH  BAY  lies  off  the  road  from  Wiscasset  to  Dama 
scotta.  It  has  a  commodious  harbour,  with  a  number  of 
islands  in  the  vicinity  ;  and  the  neighbouring  high  ground 
affords  a  very  fine  and  extensive  view.  The  hill,  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  bay,  was  surveyed  for  a  city  in  the 
early  part  of  the  last  century,  which  was  to  have  borne 
the  name  of  Townsend,  but  the  building  of  it  was  never 
begun.  The  harbour  has  been  considered  a  good  site  for 
a  naval  depot. 

Antiquities.  Two  or  three  miles  off  the  road,  between 
19 


212  WALDOBOROUGH. 

Linniken's  Bay  and  Damascotta  River,  where  was  for* 
merly  an  Indian  carrying  place,  the  remains  of  cellar 
walls  and  chimneys  are  found,  as  also  broken  kettles, 
wedges,  &c.  At  the  head  of  the  bay  are  the  hulks  of 
two  or  three  large  vessels  sunk  in  the  water ;  and  on  the 
shore,  the  ruins  of  an  old  grist  mill,  where  the  present 
one  stands.  On  the  islands  opposite  the  town,  are  other 
ruins,  the  history  of  which  is  unknown,  as  well  as  that  of 
those  already  mentioned.  The  only  fact  which  seems  to 
afford  any  guide  to  their  origin,  is,  that  Sir  John  Popham 
made  an  attempt  to  build  a  town  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ken- 
nebec,  in  the  year  1607. 

WALBOBOROUGH,  10  miles ;  Warren,  7  miles ;  Thomas- 
town,  Central  Village,  6  miles.  Here  are  quarries  of 
marble  and  limestone,  from  the  latter  of  which  about 
100,000  barrels  of  lime  are  made  every  year  for  exporta 
tion.  The  marble  is  also  wrought  in  considerable  quanti 
ties.  A  visit  to  the  workshops  may  be  interesting,  as  the 
operation  of  polishing  is  performed  by  machinery  moved 
by  water.  There  is  a  cotton  manufactory  on  Mill  River. 
The  village  is  fifteen  miles  from  the  sea. 

The  State  Prison  stands  in  a  commanding  and  plea 
sant  situation.  It  has  solitary  cells,  built  of  granite,  in 
blocks  from  four  to  six  feet  in  length,  and  two  in  thick- 
ness.  Each  cell  has  an  opening  at  the  top,  with  small 
holes  in  the  walls  for  the  admission  of  fresh  air,  which, 
during  the  winter  season,  is  warmed  before  it  is  admitted. 
The  warden's  house  is  also  built  of  granite,  and  is  two 
stories  high,  placed  in  the  middle,  with  a  row  of  cells  on 
each  side.  The  prison  yard  is  surrounded  by  a  circular 
\vooden  paling,  and  encloses  nearly  three  acres,  in  which 
is  a  lime  quarry.  Several  workshops  on  the  ground  serve 
the  purposes  of  the  convicts,  who  are  employed  in  burning 
iime  and  other  manufactures. 

The  Knox  Estate.  About  half  a  mile  from  the  State 
Prison  is  the  ancient  residence  of  the  late  General  Knox. 

From  Thomastown  to  Belfast,  (thirty  miles,,)  the  road 
is  hard,  and  commands  many  views  of  Penobscot  Bay^ 
with  a  few  islands  on  the  right,  and  a  partially  cultivated 
country  on  the  left,  with  some  mountainous  scenes.  Bel* 
fast  is  a  flourishing  port,  pleasantly  situated  on  the  side 
of  a  hill.  The  road  hence  to  Castine,  round  the  bay,  i? 


ROUTE    IN    MAINE.  213 

thirty-five  miles,   passing    through    Prospect,    Buckport, 
Orland  and  Penobscot. 

CASTINE  was  taken  during  the  late  war  by  a  fleet,  and 
the  British  intrenchments  are  to  be  seen  on  the  hill 
above. 

EASTPORT  is  important  as  the  frontier  post  of  the  Unit 
ed  States  on  the  sea  coast  towards  the  British  possessions. 
It  is  on  the  southeastern  part  of  Moose  Island,  in  Passa- 
maquoddy  Bay,  and  connected  with  the  main  land  by  a 
bridge.  The  spot  was  almost  uninhabited  thirty  years 
ago  :  but  now  it  contains  three  places  of  worship.  There 
are  fortifications  and  a  few  troops.  A  line  of  steamboats 
is  established  between  this  place  and  Boston,  touching  at 
Portland,  &c. 

Lubec  is  situated  near  the  en  trance  of  the  Bay,  opposite 
Campobello. 

Perry,  the  village  of  the  Passamaquoddy  Indians,  lies 
northward  from  Eastport 

On  the  Sckoodic  River  the  land  is  high,  and  the  scenes 
striking.  Robbinston  stands  at  its  mouth ;  and  Calais 
twelve  miles  above,  at  the  head  of  navigation.  The  coun 
try  north  and  west  of  this  place  is  said  to  be  very  valuable 
for  grazing,  being  undulating,  with  a  good  soil  and  climate, 
and  at  present  well  wooded,  with  conveniences  for  trans 
portation  by  sea. 

The  road  from  Belfast  to  Bangor  lies  along  the  course 
of  the  Penobscot  River. 

BANGOR  is  a  very  flourishing  village,  newly  risen  into 
importance,  in  consequence  of  having  taken  a  good  deal  of 
the  interior  trade  from  Belfast.  It  occupies  a  command 
ing  position  for  this  object,  and  is  undoubtedly  destined 
to  experience  a  great  and  rapid  increase,  proportioned  to 
the  extension  of  settlements  in  the  upper  country.  The 
scenery  here  begins  to  assume  much  of  that  mountain 
ous  character,  which  prevails  so  extensively  through  a 
large  part  of  the  interior.  A  very  conspicuous  and  noble 
eminence  is  observed  at  a  distance  in  the  north,  called 
Ktardin  Mountain,  the  elevation  of  which  has  never,  it 
is  believed,  been  accurately  ascertained.  It  is  considered 
the  highest  land  in  the  state,  and  has  been  compared  for 
altitude  with  Mount  Washington  in  New-Hampshire. 
In  the  year  1825,  the  land  agents  visited  a  tract  of 


214  PEGIPSCOT   FALLS. 

country  inhabited  by  about  two  thousand  person's,  who 
had  been  before  unknown  as  belonging  to  the  state,  hav 
ing  never  been  represented  in  the  legislature,  or  included 
in  any  census.  They  are  partly  descendants  of  refugees, 
and  partly  half-pay  officers,  Irish  and  Scotch.  The  vast 
tract  of  wilderness  intervening  between  them  and  the 
lower  country  had  prevented  intercourse.  Their  country 
is  rich  and  beautiful,  on  the  St.  John's  River,  near  the 
boundary  of  New  Brunswick  ;  and  many  of  them  desired 
to  be  received  into  the  jurisdiction  of  the  State  Govern 
ment.  The  question  has  since  caused  much  excite 
ment. 

From  Bangor  we  begin  our  return  to  Portland,  taking 
the  route  through  the  finest  part  of  the  state  of  Maine. 
The  road  to  Augusta  and  Hallowell  on  the  Kennebec, 
lies  through  a  region  rapidly  improving  under  the  ma 
nagement  of  an  active,  industrious,  and  increasing  popu 
lation. 

Augusta  is  the  capital  of  the  state,  a  considerable  town, 
and  very  flourishing.  It  is  situated  at  the  falls  of  the 
Kennebec,  where  the  water  on  the  descent  of  the  channel 
is  sufficient  to  set  in  motion  several  hundred  wheels. 

At  the  mouth  of  this  river,  at  Georgetown,  beryls 
have  been  found,  in  a  ridge  of  granite  country.  Some 
are  fifteen  inches  long  and  six  thick.  They  are  associ 
ated  with  schorl. 

Pegipscot  Falls.  Near  Lewistown,  on  the  Andros- 
coggin  River,  is  a  remarkable  cataract,  where  the  cur 
rent  breaks  through  a  range  of  mountains,  and  pours 
over  a  broken  ledge  of  rocks.  The  scene  is  wild  and 
striking,  and  derives  an  additional  interest,  from  its  con 
nexion  with  the  history  of  a  tribe  of  Indians  long  since 
extinct. 

According  to  a  tradition  current  in  the  neighbourhood, 
the  upper  parts  of  this  stream  were  formerly  the  resi 
dence  of  the  Rockmego  Indians,  who  inhabited  a  fine 
and  fertile  plain  through  which  the  river  winds.  The 
situation  was  remote,  and  they  had  never  engaged  in 
any  hostilities  with  the  whites,  but  devoted  themselves 
to  hunting  and  fishing.  The  ground  still  contains  many 
remains  of  their  weapons,  utensils,  &c.  They  were, 
however,  at  length  persuaded  to  engage  in  a  hostile  in- 


WASHINGTON,   I).    C.  215 

curston  against  Brunswick,  at  that  time  an  exposed 
frontier  settlement;  and  the  whole  tribe  embarked  in 
their  canoes  to  accomplish  the  enterprise.  The  stream 
flows  gently  on  for  a  great  distance,  until  it  approaches 
very  near  to  the  falls  ;  and  this  was  the  spot  appointed  for 
the  night  encampment  Night  set  in  before  their  arrival ; 
and  they  sent  two  men  forward  to  make  fires  upon  the 
hanks  a  little  above  the  cataract.  For  some  unknown 
reason,  the  fires  were  kindled  below  the  falls  ;  and  the 
Indians,  being  thus  deceived  concerning  their  situation, 
did  not  bring  up  their  canoes  to  the  shore  in  season,  and 
were  carried  over  the  rocks,  and  the  tribe  all  destroyed 
together. 

We  now  close  the  northern  tours,  and  proceed  to 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

WASHINGTON,  the  seat  of  Government  of  the  United 
States,  is  situated  between  the  Potomac  River  and  its 
eastern  branch,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  above  their  junc 
tion.  It  is  divided  into  three  distinct  pans,  which  are 
built  about  the  Navy  Yard,  the  Capitol  Hill,  and  the 
Pennsylvania  Avenue.  The  Capitol  is  an  immense  build 
ing  with  two  wings,  surrounded  by  an  open  piece  of 
ground,  terraced  in  front,  and  occupying  an  elevation, 
which  renders  it  a  conspicuous  object  for  several  miles. 

The  original  plan  of  the  city  was  very  extensive :  the 
principal  streets  meeting  from  all  points  of  the  compass 
at  the  Capitol,  and  bearing  the  names  of  the  older  states 
of  the  union.  Some  of  the  minor  streets  are  known  by 
the  names  of  the  letters  of  the  Alphabet;  and  tracts  of 
ground  were  reserved  for  public  squares.  As  Washing 
ton,  however,  is  chiefly  dependent  on  the  government 
for  its  support,  the  original  scheme  has  been  but  faintly 
realized,  and  many  of  the  streets  have  not  even  been 
opened. 

During  the  sessions  of  Congress,  the  place  is  thronged 
with  strangers  from  all  parts  of  the  country ;  and  the  ses 
sions  of  the  Senate  and  Representatives,  the  proceedings  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  the  Levees  at  the  President's  House, 
the  parties  at  the  foreign  ministers',  &c.  afford  ample  op 
portunities  for  amusements  of  various  kinds.  At  otljer 
19* 


2J6  THE   DEPARTMENTS. 

seasons,  however,  there  is  little  to  interest  the  thi  stranger 
except  the  public  buildings  and  the  Navy  Yard. 

The  Capitol  presents  specimens  of  various  styles  of 
architecture.  On  entering  the  south  wing  several  columns 
are  seen,  where  carvings  of  Indian-corn  stalks  are  substi 
tuted  for  flutings  and  filletings  ;  while  the  capitals  are 
made  of  the  ears  of  corn  half  stripped,  and  disposed  so  as 
in  some  degree  to  resemble  the  Corinthian  or  Composite 
order. 

The  Representatives'  Chamber  is  a  fine  semi-circu 
lar  apartment,  with  columns  of  a  dark  bluish  siliceous 
pudding  stone,  hard  and  highly  polished.  It  is  lighted 
from  above.  The  gallery  is  open  during  the  debates,  as 
well  as  the  Senate  Chamber,  which  is  a  much  smaller 
apartment. 

The  Library  of  Congress  is  in  another  part  of  the 
building ;  and  the  Great  Hall  contains  the  four  national 
pictures,  painted  for  the  government  by  Col.  Trumbull : 
the  Declaration  of  Independence,  the  Surrender  at  Sara 
toga  and  Yorktown,  and  Washington  resigning  his  Com 
mission  ;  each  12  feet  by  18. 

A  fine  view  is  enjoyed  from  the  top  of  the  Capitol.  You 
look  along  the  Pennsylvania  Arenue  westward  to  the 
President's  House,  with  Georgetown  and  the  Potomac 
beyond ;  the  General  Post  Office,  &c.  on  the  right ;  the 
Navy- Yard  towards  the  southeast ;  Greenleaf's  Point 
nearly  south  ;  and  southwest  the  bridge  over  the  Poto 
mac,  with  the  road  to  Alexandria  and  Mount  Vernon. 
The  canal  begins  south  of  the  President's  House,  and 
terminates  at  the  East  Branch. 

The  President's  House  is  a  large  building  of  white 
marble,  with  Grecian  fronts,  about  a  mile  west  of  the 
Capitol,  and  near  the  public  offices.  It  is  surrounded  by  a 
wall,  but  without  any  other  defence.  The  entrance  hall 
leads  into  the  drawing  room,  where  the  President's  lady 
receives  visiters  at  her  levees.  Two  other  apartments  are 
thrown  open  on  those  occasions  ;  all  handsomely  furnished, 
and  freely  accessible,  even  to  strangers. 

The  Patent  Office  is  well  worthy  of  a  visit,  on  account 
of  the  numerous  curious  models  which  it  contains,  relating 
to  all  branches  of  the  arts. 

The  Treasury,  Navy,  War,  and  Land  Offices,  are  all  in 


•GEORGETOWN. 

ithe  vicinity  of  the  President's  House;  as  are  the  resi 
dences  of  the  Foreign  Ministers.  The  members  of  Con 
gress,  as  well  as  the  numerous  strangers  who  resort  hither 
•during  the  sessions,  find  lodgings  in  the  hotels  and  board 
ing  houses  in  different  parts  of  the  city,  or  in  Georgetown. 

GEORGETOWN  is  a  considerable  place,  which  by  its 
proximity  to  Washington,  seems  almost  a  part  of  that  city. 
The  country  around  it  is  variegated,  and  the  situation  of 
the  Romish  College,  a  little  way  west,  is  picturesque. 
-Still  further  in  the  same  direction,  there  is  a  very  pleasant 
ride  along  the  bank  of  the  Potomac,  where  Mason's  Island 
is  at  first  seen,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  afterwards 
the  Nunnery  upon  the  elevated  banks. 

Whoever  would  understand  convents  should  travel  in 
Europe.  This  institution  flourishes  in  consequence  of  the 
ignorance  of  many  of  our  countrymen,  with  respect  to 
the  nature  of  convents,  their  over-estimation  of  certain 
branches,  and  their  light  esteem  for  the  principles  and 
blessings  of  the  Reformation.  Accompanying  those  are  the 
proselyting  spririt  of  the  Jesuits,  and  the  secret  designs 
of  the  popes  against  the  freedom  of  the  United  States, 
•so  actively  seconded  by  the  government  of  Austria. 

Some  of  the  advocates  of  convents  have  professed  to 
•court  public  attention  sind  investigation  for  them.  It 
would  be  well.  We  should  find  in  them  some  of  the 
images  and  pictures  which  are  publicly  worshipped  in 
Romish  countries. 

It  is  pretended  that  the  education  they  afford,  especially 
to  females,  is  superior  to  any  which  American  Protestants 
can  give.  Let  its  superiority  then  be  thoroughly  known  ; 
and,  let  laws  be  passed,  opening  all  schools,  without  dis 
tinction,  to  the  thorough  inspection  of  public  officers  at 
their  pleasure.  Let  Congress,  or  any  State  Legislature 
or  the  people  of  any  town  where  a  conventual  school  exists, 
set  the  example ;  and  it  will  probably  become  general. 
Then  if  the  advantages  are  so  great,  let  the  system  be  uni 
versally  adopted,  even  in  our  common  schools  ;  and,  if 
necessary  import  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  thousand  fo 
reign  teachers.  Friars,  and  nuns,  black,  white  and  gray, 
might  be  obtained  from  Spain,  and  Jesuits  in  any  numbers 
might  be  found  lurking  in  secret,  and  under  various  names 
in  many  a  corner,  since  they  have  been  expelled  with  de- 


213 

testation  from  almost  every  country  in  the  world 
the  United  States,  One  of  the  moat  distinguished  and 
virtuous  statesmen  of  Colombia,  on  a  visit  to  this  country 
exclaimed  with  astonishment,  when  he  heard  that  the  edu 
cation  of  any  of  our  youth  was  committed  to  Jesuits,  "  Do 
you  not  know  that  they  are  the  bitterest  enemies  of  human 
liberty  ?  They  are  not  tolerated  in  South  America,  nor  even 
iu  Spain."  This  and  the  following  memorable  remark  should 
be  written  on  the  door  of  every  convent :  "  If  the  liberties 
of  the  United  Stales  are  ever  overthrown,  it  will  be  by 
Jesuit  priests." — 'Lafayette. 

ALEXANDRIA.  This  is  a  large  city  and  port,  six  miles 
from  Washington,  and  contains  some  line  buildings,  both 
public  and  private.  The  road  which  leads  to  it  is  good, 
in  the  pleasant  season,  although  the  country  is  little  inha 
bited,  and  the  soil  is  impoverished  by  the  cultivation  of 
tobacco.  This  city  is  in  the  District  of  Columbia. 

MOUNT  VERNON,  the  estate  of  the  Washington  family, 
is  nine  miles  south  from  Alexandria,  and  is  remarkable  as 
containing  the  tomb  of  Gen.  Washington.  The  road  is 
somewhat  intricate,  and  has  but  few  inhabitants  ;  so  that 
the  stranger  unless  he  goes  in  a  steamboat,  will  need  to 
make  careful  inquiries.  The  house  stands  on  an  emi 
nence,  looking  down  upon  the  Potomac.  The  buildings 
which  project  from  each  end,  are  the  offices  and  habita 
tions  of  the  negroes. 

The  key  of  the  Bastile  of  Paris  is  hung  up  in  the  hall ; 
and  a  miniature  portrait  of  Washington,  from  an  earthen 
pitcher,  is  preserved,  which  is  considered  by  the  family 
the  best  likeness  of  him  ever  made.  A  beautiful  lawn, 
partly  shaded  by  trees,  extends  from  the  front  of  the  man 
sion  to  the  verge  of  the  precipice,  which  overhangs  the  Po 
tomac,  and  affords  a  delightful  view  upon  the  river  and  a 
tract  of  hilly  country  above  and  below. 

This  is  the  place  to  which  Washington  retired  after  he 
had  accomplished  the  independence  of  his  country,  and 
again  \vhen  he  had  presided  at  the  consolidation  of  the 
government;  voluntarily  resigning  the  stations  he  had 
consented  to  accept,  and  the  power  he  had  exercised  only 
for  the  good  of  his  country.  To  an  American,  this  place 
is  interesting,  in  a  degree  which  no  language  can  either 
heighten  or  describe.  Whoever  appreciates  the  value  of 


ROUTE   TO   VIRGINIA   SPRINGS.  219 

private  and  social  virtue,  will  rejoice  to  find  it  associated 
with  the  traits  of  a  personage  so  distinguished  and  influen 
tial  ;  the  consistent  politician  will  rejoice  to  reflect  that  his 
principles  of  natural  freedom  were  not  restricted  to  any 
portion  of  the  world,  or  any  part  of  the  human  race;  while 
any  one,  who  can  duly  estimate  the  extent  of  the  blessings 
he  has  conferred  on  his  country,  and  the  influence  of  his 
actions  on  the  happiness  of  the  world,  will  wish  that  his 
history  may  ever  be  cherished,  as  a  model  of  sincere  and 
disinterested  patriotism. 

Washington's  Tomb  was  until  lately  in  a  little  grove  of 
cedars  a  shorr,  distance  southward  from  the  house,  and 
near  the  brow  of  the  precipitous  shore.  It  is  now  at  a 
short  distance  from  tha:  spot,  a  new  family  tomb  having  been 
erected.  The  great  man,  who  had  rendered  to  his  country 
the  most  important  military  and  civil  services  she  ever  re 
ceived,  left  his  mortal  remains  to  be  deposited  in  this 
humble  cemetery  ;  and  that  country  has  never  yet  expressed 
its  gratitude  by  erecting  a  monument  to  his  memory, 
though  to  her  he  devoted  his  life,  and  to  her  he  has  be 
queathed  a  character,  on  which  no  successful  attempt  has 
ever  yet  been  made  to  discover  a  shadow  or  to  fix  a  stain. 

Virginia  Springs.  Warm  Spring  213  miles,  White 
Sulphur  256  m.,  &c. 

These  are  now  annually  visited  by  many  persons  from 
the  north,  as  well  as  from  other  parts  of  the  country  ;  and 
the  variety  of  scenery  recommends  them  to  the  attention 
of  every  traveller  of  taste,  no  less  than  their  medicinal 
properties  to  the  invalid. 

From  Washington  stagecoaches  depart  daily,  passing 
through  Alexandria  9  miles.  Fairfax  Court-house  15, 
Centrevllle  8,  Bull  Run  3,  Buckland  Mills  11,  New- 
Baltimore  4,  Warrenton  6,  Lee's  Sulphur  Spring  6,  Jef 
ferson  3,  Fairfax  12,  Cedar  Mountain  6,  Rapidan  6, 
Orange  Court-house  7,*  Gordonsville  8,  Monticello  16, 
Charlottesvilie  3,t  York  19,  Waynesboro'  6,  Staunton 

*  Montpelier,  the  scat  of  President  Madison,  is  5  miles  from  this 
place.  The  Natural  Bridge  is  in  Rockbndg-e  county,  12  miles  S. 
W.  from  Lexington  It  is  about  200  feet  high. 

t  At  Cbarlottcsville  is  the  University  fouuded  by  Thomas  Jeffer- 
£oiie  adorned  with  beautiful  marble  colannades,  &c.  His  seai  is  on  a 
kill  2  miles  distant. 


2S20  BALTIMORE. 

12,  Jennings'  North  Mountain  17,  Cloverdalc  12,  Green 
Valley  11,  Warm  Springs  13,  Hot  Springs  5,  Jackson 
River  9,  White  Sulphur  Springs  29,  Sweet  Sulphur,  do. 
28,  Salt  Sulphur,  do.  1.  (Distance  from  Washington 
285  miles.) 

BALTIMORE  is  the  third  city,  for  size,  in  the  United 
States,  and  carries  on  an  extensive  commerce. 

The  harbour  in  the  Patapsco  River,  has  a  narrow  en 
trance,  and  is  well  protected  by  high  ground.  On  ihe 
side  opposite  the  city  is  an  abrupt  elevation  of  consider 
able  size,  where  is  a  fort,  and  whence  a  commanding  view 
is  enjoyed. 

Fell's  Point  is  a  part  of  the  city,  about  a  mile  below, 
where  most  of  the  stores  and  shipping  are  found.  Many 
of  the  streets  of  Baltimore  are  broad,  cross  at  right  angles, 
and  are  ornamented  with  fine  buildings  both  public  and 
private. 

The  Washington  Monument.  This  is  a  large  column 
of  marble  in  a  commanding  position,  at  the  bead  of 
Charles-street,  rising  to  the  height  of  163  feet.  It  is  14 
feet  in  diameter  at  the  top,  and  20  below,  with  a  base  23 
fset  in  height,  and  50  square.  It  is  one  of  the  finest  mo 
numents  in  the  United  States,  and  the  only  one  worthy 
the  memory  of  the  great  man  to  whom  it  is  erected. 

The  Battle  Monument  was  recently  erected,  in  memory 
of  those  who  fell  in  the  defence  of  the  city  in  Septem 
ber,  1814. 

The  Public  Fountain  is  a  fine  spring  of  water  in  the 
western  part  of  the  city,  surrounded  by  a  public  square, 
laid  out  in  walks  and  shaded  with  trees. 

The  environs  of  Baltimore  afford  some  pleasant  rides  ; 
and  the  communication  with  different  places  is  easy,  by 
various  modes  of  conveyance.  Steamboats  go  to  Nor 
folk,  in  Virginia,  but  the  passage  is  uninteresting ;  and 
those  who  wish  to  see  Washington,  (38  miles  distant,) 
will  go  by  the  railroad. 

Battle  of  Baltimore.  This  battle  took  place  at  Long 
Point,  in  September,  1814.  Nearly  40  sail  of  British 
vessels  at  the  mouth  of  the  Patapsco,  on  the  12th  landed 
between  7000  and  8000  men  on  Long  Point,  14  miles 
from  the  city.  Sixteen  bomb  vessels  in  the  mean  time 


ROUtES    TO  OHIO.  221 

vront  tip  the  river,  and  anchored  about  2^  miles  from  Fort 
McHenry.  General  Strieker  took  position  at  the  two 
roads  leading  to  North  Point,  his  right  on  Bear  Creek, 
and  his  left  on  a  marsh.  The  enemy  joined  in  a  general 
battle.  After  an  hour  and  twenty  minutes  the  51st  regi 
ment  gave  way,  and  General  Strieker  retired  to  his  re 
serve,  whither  the  enemy  did  not  follow.  He  lost  about 
156  killed  and  wounded  in  this  action,  in  which  the  citi 
zens  of  Baltimore  distinguished  themselves.  The  British 
was  computed  at  600  or  700  ;  and  among  them  was  their 
commander,  Gen.  Ross. 

The  bomb  vessels  which  attacked  Fort  McHenry  were 
unsuccessful,  being  met  with  a  manly  resistance;  and  the 
troops  re-embarked  arid  relinquished  the  enterprise. 

Baltimore  had  101,378  inhabitants  in  1840.  The  har. 
Jrour  has  18  feet  water.  Fort  McHenry  1£  miles  below,  at 
the  mouth  of  Patapsco  river,  was  bombarded  by  the  Bri 
tish  in  1814. 

Washington  Monument  is  163  feet,  with  a  colossal 
statue. 

Ellicott's  Mills  13  miles,  is  a  romantic  spot.  The  rail 
road  crosses  a  fine  viaduct;  and  there  are  many  stone 
factories  and  mills  for  cotton,  woollen,  flour,  iron,&c.  &c. 

The  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad,  in  use  to  Harper's 
Ferry,  81  miles,  rims  southwest  to  Patapsco  river,  at  Elk- 
ridge  Landing,  up  that  stream,  down  Bush  Creek,  and 
the  Monocacy,  up  the  Potomac  to  Harper's  Ferry.  It  is 
.partly  finished  to  Wheeling,  280  miles  from  Baltimore. 
The  summit  is  2500  feet  above  tide.  A  branch  3^  miles 
long,  teads  to  Fredericktown. 

The  Washington  Railro&d  is  a  branch  of  the  Baltimore 
and  Ohio  railroad,  leaving  it  8  miles  from  Baltimore,  and 
has  a  very  long  and  lofty  embankment  and  a  fine  viaduct, 
ft  leads  through  Bladensbnrg,  and  ends  in  Pennsylvania 
Avenue,  \  mile  from  the  Capitol,  in  Washington.  It 
meets,  18  miles  from  Baltimore  with 

The  Annapolis  and  Elkridge  Railroad,  20  miles,  which 
Jcads  southeast  to  Annapolis. 

OHIO. 

This  new  and  flourishing  state  will  be  visited  by  tra- 
iatclligcftce,  disposed  to  witeess  the  aspect  of 


222  CINCINNATI. 

a  country  which  has  been  the  theatre  of  a  most  rapid  itii" 
provernent. 

The  following  may  be  recommended  as  a  general  tour. 
First  proceed  to  Wheeling ;  down  the  Ohio  river  to 
Cincinnati  ;  across  the  country  to  Sandusky  Bay  by  the 
western  route  in  good  stage  coaches  ;  thence  by  steam 
boat  to  Detroit,  and  if  desired  onward  to  the  western 
lakes.— Returning,  by  steam,  land  at  Cleaveland,  and 
make  an  excursion  on  the  canal,  (which,  although  about 
350  miles  long,  is  not  very  interesting.)  Then  take 
steamboat  to  Buffalo,  whence  the  traveller  may  take  what 
route  he  prefers. 

Pittsburgh.  This  is  more  like  a  manufacturing  town 
in  England,  than  any  other  in  the  United  States.  It 
would  surpass  our  limits  to  enumerate  all  the  manufac 
tories  here. 

The  great  steamboat,  Missouri,  built  at  Pittsburgh,  in 
1841,  is  233  feet  by  59  (including  guards,)  and  of  600' 
tons.  It  plies  between  New-Orleans  and  St.  Louis. 

The  extensive  coal  mines  in  this  vicinity  are  329  feet 
above  the  Ohio,  and  543  feet  above  Lake  Erie. 

The  appearance  of  the  country  along  the  Ohio  at 
Wheeling,  is  remarkably  beautiful;  and  it  has  thence  de 
rived  the  name  of  Belmont.  The  land  is  undulating,  and 
rises  gradually  for  a  distance  back,  affording  many  fine 
retrospects  to  a  traveller  in  that  direction,  over  a  well  cul 
tivated  region.  Considerable  quantities  of  tobacco  are 
now  raised  here. 

Cincinnati.  The  streets  cross  each  other  at  right  an- 
glas,  and  those  parallel  to  the  Ohio,  are  numbered  1st,  2d! 
3d,  &c.  except  the  two  next  the  shore.  The  Miami  canal 
passes  through  three  of  the  streets.  The  principal  build 
ings  are  the  Court-house,  Jail,  Post-office,  Hospital,  Col 
lege,  Medical  College,  Mechanics'  Institute,  Council 
Chamber,  Churches,  Theatre,  Amphitheatre,  &c.  Capital 
employed  in  manufactures  in  1841,  14£  millions  ;  pro 
duct  of  mechanical  labour  17£  millions.  There  are  130 
different  branches  of  manufacture,  employing  1000  mas 
ter  employers,  and  10,000  working  people.  There  are  a 
Commercial  Hospital,  Lunatic  Asylum,  Medical  College- 
and  the  Westein  Museum. 


PHILADELPHIA.  223 


ROUTE  FROM  N.  YORK  TO  PHILADELPHIA. 

From  New-York  to  Philadelphia,  by  the  Catnden  and 
Atnboy  Railroad  85  miles  The  boat  from  the  Battery 
to  Arnboy,  New-Jersey  23  m.  railroad,  to  Hightstown  20, 
Bordentown  14,  Steamboat  to  Bristol,  Pennsylvania  9, 
Burlington,  New-Jersey  1,  Philadelphia  IS. 

Do.  by  Railroad,  through  Newark,  &c.  From  Bar 
clay-street  Ferry  to  Jersey  city,  New-Jersey,  1  mile, 
Newark  8,  Elizabethtown  6,  Rahway  5,  New-Brunswick 
13,  Trenton  26,  Bristol  11,  Philadelphia  17. 

THE  CITY  OF  PHILADELPHIA. 

Philadelphia  is  the  second  city,  for  size,  in  the  United 
States  ;  and  is  remarkable  for  the  regularity  of  its  streets, 
whirh,  almost  without  exception,  run  at  right  angles,  and 
are  of  equal  and  convenient  breadth. 

It  will  he  convenient  to  the  stranger  to  recollect  that 
the  streets  running  north  and  south  are  named  Fit  si,  Se 
cond,  Third,  &c.  beginning  on  both  sides  of  the  city  on 
the  banks  of  the  Delaware  and  Schnylkill,  until  they  meet 
at  the  square  near  the  centre.  The  streets  which  run 
east  and  west,  are  generally  named  after  trees;  the  lanes 
and  alleys,  after  shrubs,  &c. 

The  Market.  This  consists  of  a  succession  of  build 
ings  in  the  middle  of  Market-street,  extending  from  the 
fish  market  on  the  river's  hank  to  Eighth- street,  and  from 
Broad-street  to  Sehuylkill,5r,h-street,  affording  room  fora 
convenient  display  of  articles. 

The  Exchange  is  on  Third  and  Dock-streets,  with  the 
Post-office  in  the  basement,  (here  is  a  stand  for  ornni- 
busses.)  Blind  Institution  in  Race-street 

The  Bank  of  the  United  States,  in  Chesnut-street,  be 
tween  Fourth  and  Fifth,  is  built  of  white  marble  in  the 
form  of  a  temple,  with  two  fronts,  each  ornamented  with 
eight  fine  Doric  columns,  of  the  ancient  proportions  with 
out  bases. 


224  THE    ACADBiMT    OP   ARTS. 

Girard  Bank,  in  Third,  facing  Dock-street,  is  also- 
of  marble,  and  presents  a  beautiful  row  of  six  Corinthian 
columns. 

The  Sank  of  Pennsylvania,  opposite,  has  two  fronts, 
on  Second  and  Dock-streets,  each  with  six  Ionic  columns. 

The  State  House,  in  Chesnut-street,  between  Fifth  and 
Sixth-streets,  is  a  large  brick  building,  with  court  rooms, 
&c.  at  either  end.  In  the  front  room,  east  of  the  main 
entrance,  the  old  Continental  Congress  held  their  sessions  ', 
and  there  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  signed, 
July  4th,  1776. 

The  Athen&um  is  adjoining,  open  all  d^y  to  strangers. 

The  Philosophical  Society's  Library  and  Cabinet. 

Independence  Square  is  a  fine  shaded  piece  of  ground 
behind  the  State  House. 

City  Library,  Fifth-street,  open  to  the  public  from  2, 
P.  M.  See  Franklin's  apparatus,  and  Cromwell's  clock. 

The  University  contains  a  medical  department  and  the 
Wistar  Museum,  with  a  library,  garden,  &c. 

The  Arcade,  in  Chesnut-street,  is  a  fine  building  of 
stone.  The  Philadelphia  Museum  of  Mr.  Feale  in  the 
northern  part.  It  contains  a  large  collection  of  curiosi 
ties  of  various  descriptions.  The  huge  skeleton  of  a  mam 
moth  is  represented  entire ;  for  the  parts  which  were  defi 
cient  on  one  side,  have  been  supplied  by  imitations  of 
those  on  the  other. 

Washington  Square  is  on  the  other  side  of  Sixth- 
street,  with  a  handsome  church  on  the  southern  side,  with 
a  range  of  wooden  columns. 

The  Pennsylvania  Hospital  is  a  large  and  admira 
ble  institution,  in  the  next  street,  where  great  numbers 
of  sick  are  attended.  Twenty-five  cents  will  secure  ad 
mission  to  the  building  and  gardens,  and  also  to  the  top. 
West's  Celebrated  Picture  of  Christ  healing  the  sick, 
is  exhibited  in  a  neat  little  building  on  tke  opposite  side 
of  the  street. 

The  Theatre,  in  Chesnut-street,  between  Sixth  and 
Seventh-streets,  has  a  marble  front. 

The  Masonic  Hall  is  a  little  beyond,  and  somewhat 
in  the  Gothic  style,  with  a  small  court  yard  in  front. 

The  Academy  of  Arts,  Chesnut-street,  between  Tenth 
and  Eleventh,  contains  a  collection  of  statues,  busts,  &c. 


PHILADELPHIA.  225 

in  marble  and  plaster,  ranged  in  an  apartment  lighted 
from  the  top ;  and  beyond,  a  gallery  of  pictures  with 
many  specimens  of  the  works  of  American  artists. 

The  Orphans'  and  the  Widows'  Asylums  are  in  the 
western  part  of  the  city. 

Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Penn's  House,  Letitia 
Court,  United.  States  Mint,  &c.  &c. 

There  are  two  medical  institutions  in  this  city,  where 
lectures  are  delivered  to  great  numbers  of  students. 

The  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum  is  a  valuable  institu 
tion  ;  as  is  the  Friends'  Alms  House  in  Walnut-street, 
between  Third  and  Fourth,  where  poor  families  are 
placed  in  separate  houses,  among  small  gardens,  and 
furnished  with  employment. 

Girard  College,  founded  by  the  late  Stephen  Girard, 
is  on  the  Ridge  Road,  a  little  out  of  the  city.  The  main 
building  is  of  three  stories,  169  feet  in  length,  and  111 
wide,  with  an  elegant  portico  with  marble  columns. 

The  banks  of  the  Schuylkill  are  well  formed  for  the 
display  of  the  large  public  edifices  which  will  be  per 
ceived  ranged  along  their  eminences  for  two  or  three  nvles, 
to  the  honour  of  Philadelphia,  and  the  ornament  of  its 
environs. 

Mr.  Prates  Garden  is  about  three  miles  northwest 
from  the  centre  of  the  city,  and  worthy  of  a  visit.  The 
situation  is  agreeable  and  commanding,  on  a  little  cape  or 
promontory  on  the  Schuylkill ;  and  from  the  gravelled 
walks,  the  visiter  enjoys  a  view  down  the  river,  of  the 
basin,  the  dam,  the  Water  Works,  below  which  are  the 
State  Prison,  House  of  Refuge,  Hospital,  the  two  bridges, 
and  on  the  opposite  side  a  handsome  seat  called  "  Wood 
lands."  The  Western  Railroad  leads  through  it. 

The  Schuylkill  Water  Works.  There  is  a  large  stone 
building  of  chaste  architecture,  containing  five  large  water 
whpels,  which  are  capable  of  raising  seven  millions  of  gal 
lons  in  twenty-four  hours.  They  are  turned  by  a  current 
from  the  dam  above.  The  reservoirs  are  on  the  hill 
above,  which  is  higher  than  any  part  of  the  city,  which  it 
supplies.  They  both  contain  eleven  millions  of  gallons. 

Penitentiary.     This  is  a  large  and  singular  construc 
tion.     The  prisoners  are   kept  in  solitary  confinement. 
The  wall  is  forty  foet  high,  built  of  granite,  and  en- 


226  MINERALS    13    PENNSYLVANIA. 

closes  a  square,  650  feet  on  each  side.  The  cells  are 
formed  in  seven  long  stone  galleries,  an  octagon  in  the 
centre.  The  entrances  to  the  cells  are  through  little  yards 
from  the  outside,  and  each  has  a  wicket  door  in  the  gal 
lery.  A  centinel  in  the  octagon,  by  turning  on  his  heel, 
can  look  through  all  the  galleries ;  and  the  arched  roofs 
reverberate  every  sound,  so  that  he  can  hear  a  very  slight 
noi.*e. 

The  Naval  Hospital  is  situated  about  two  miles  south 
west  from  the  centre  of  the  city.  The  expense  is  defray 
ed  by  funds  contributed  by  the  officers  and  seamen  of 
the  U.  S.  navy,  out  of  their  pay.  The  building  is  on 
an  eminence,  commands  an  extensive  view,  and  makes 
a  fine  appearance  from  a  distance.  The  front  is  386  feet 
in  length,  three  stories  high,  and  it  is  large  enough  to 
lodge  300  or  400  persons.  The  first  story  is  of  granite, 
and  the  second  and  third  of  marble,  both  of  which  kinds 
of  stone  are  found  in  abundance  in  the  vicinity  of  Phila 
delphia. 

The  Navy  Yard,  (on  the  banks  of  the  Delaware.) 
Here,  as  in  most  of  the  principal  navy  yards  of  the  U. 
States,  ships  of  war  are  built  under  the  shelter  of  im 
mense  buildings,  whirh  protect  the  workmen  and  the 
timber  from  exposure  to  the  weather.  The  line  of  battle 
ship  Pennsylvania,  the"  Franklin"  and"  North  Carolina," 
and  the  frigates  United  States  and  Guerriere  were  built 
at  this  place. 

The  north  side  of  the  navy  yard  is  devoted  to  brick 
buildings  for  the  residence  of  officers,  ship  timber,  &c. 
while  at  the  south  end  are  the  workshops.  The  Marine 
Barracks  are  on  the  western  side ;  and  the  area  of  the 
yard,  which  is  walled  with  brick,  is  about  twelve  acres. 

The  .extensive  meadows  south  of  Philadelphia  present 
a  beautiful  scene  of  fertility  and  cultivation.  A  ride  in 
that  direction  at  morning  or  evening  is  recommended. 

Geology  of  Pennsylvania.  A  geological  survey  of 
this  state  has  been  in  progress  five  years  at  the  direction 
of  the  Legislature,  by  Professor  Rogers.  Serpentine, 
asbestos,  and  many  intpresting  minerals,  are  found  in 
the  southeastern  part  at  Chestnut  Hill.  Bituminous  coal 
beds  exist  west  of  the  Alleghaniesin  many  places,  (becom 
ing  more  bituminous  as  you  go  north,)  and  anthracite 


ROUTES    TO    THE    COAL    MINES.  227 

&>t  of  them.  The  purest  Lehigh  coal  contains  88£  per 
v^ent  of  carbon,  and  Schuylkill,  92 ;  Bituminous,  87. 
There  are  numerous  veins  of  brown  oxide  and  compact 
carbonate  of  iron :  the  latter  occurring  with  both  kinds 
•of  coal.  Some  of  the  ores  yield  about  70  per  cent  of 
iron.  Magnetic  oxide  is  found  in  the  southeastern  part 
of  the  state.  Silicate  of  zinc,  yielding  50,40  of  metal, 
is  found  in  Northumberland  county. 

The  Chesapeake  and  Delaware  Canal  is  intended  for 
sloops  of  the  largest  class,  and  schooners:  the  locks  being 
100  by  22  feet,  and  the  canal  60  feet  wide  at  the  water 
line. 

The  principal  objects  are  the  harbour  on  the  Dela 
ware,  the  adjoining  embankment  on  St.  George's  Marsh, 
the  Deep  Cut,  and  the  Summit  Bridge. 

The  Harbour  on  the  Delaware  is  at  Delaware  City. 
It  is  formed  by  two  piers  running  into  the  water:  one 
500  feet  long,  and  the  other  GOO,  with  a  return  pier  of 
100  feet. 

THE  PENNSYLVANIA  CANALS.  Under  this  general 
name  is  comprehended  a  great  and  extensive  system  of 
internal  improvements,  for  severa'  years  designed,  and 
partly  accomplished,  by  the  Legislature  of  this  state, 

ROUTES  TO  THE  COAL  MINES. 

In  consequence  of  the  opening  of  the  vast  beds  of  coal 
between  the  Delaware  and  Schuylkill  rivers,  at  a  distance 
of  about  80  or  100  miles  north  of  Philadelphia,  that  re 
gion  has  become  an  object  of  great  interest. 

In  the  tract  of  country  north  from  Philadelphia,  are 
found  inexhaustible  quantities  of  coal,  in  elevated  ridges 
und  mountains  of  the  Alleghany  range,  which  are  sup 
posed  to  be  connected  with  those  which  are  known  on  the 
•western  side  of  the  range,  although  they  are  of  different 
characteristics.  The  western  coal  is  easily  combustible, 
and  resembles  that  imported  from  Liverpool,  &c.  while 
the  former  is  hard,  very  difficult  to  kindle,  and  burns  with 
very  little  flame.  It  is,  however,  of  great  purity,  being-  of 
that  sort  known  to  geologists  by  the  name  of  Anthracite, 
and  is  now  very  extensively  used  for  fuel  in  Philadelphia, 
New-York,  and  different  parts  of  the  country.  The  varie- 
20* 


228  8CHUYLKILL   NAVIGATION. 

ties  of  this  coal  come  down  in  a  kind  of  rude  square  boat3> 
called  arks,  drawing-  only  12  or  15  inches  of  water,  but 
containing  about  2.30  bushels  each,  which  may  usually  be 
seen  on  the  shores  of  the  Schuylkill,  and  at  the  wharves  in 
the  Delaware.  It  is  only  a  few  years  since  this  coal  was 
supposed  to  be  entirely  worthless  ;  and  now  the  demand  is 
enormous. 

The  whole  length  of  the  line  of  navigation,  undertaken 
by  the  Schuylkill  company,  is  108  miles  ;  and  the  work  was 
considered  the  greatest  ever  performed  in  this  country  by 
a  company.  It  commences  at  the  Lancaster  Schuylkill 
bridge,  and  ends  at  Mount  Carbon  ;  62  miles  of  it  are  by 
canals,  and  46  by  pools  in  the  river. 

The  obstacles  which  the  surface  of  the  country  presents 
to  works  of  such  a  nature  in  this  state,  are  unusually  great, 
as  may  be  supposed,  when  it  is  remarked,  that  eight  ranges 
of  mouniains  pass  through  Pennsylvania  from  northeast  to 
southwest,  and  that  the  height  of  land  is  supposed  to  be  8  or 
900  feet  in  the  lowest  place,  so  that  the  rivers  descend  very 
much  in  their  courses.  It  has  been  necessary  to  make 
more  lockages  on  the  Schuylkill  line,  than  on  the  whole 
Erie  canal  in  New-York.  Beside  this,  the  country  is  of 
the  transition  formation,  with  sloping  strata,  which  cause 
much  leaking. 

ROUTE  TO  THE  LEHIGH  COAL  MINES  AT  MAUCH  CHUNK. 

There  are  three  routes  from  Philadelphia  by  which 
Mauch  Chunk  may  be  reached:  1st.  By  the  way  of  Beth 
lehem.  2d.  By  the  way  of  Easton  through  Doylestown — 
and  3d.  By  the  way  of  Bristol  ;  also  through  Easton.  By 
either  route  you  reach  the  village  in  a  day  and  a  half. 

CANAL  ROUTE  TO  THE  SCHUYLKILL  COAL  MINES  AT 
MOUNT  CARBON. 

MANAYUNK  is  a  large  manufacturing  village,  furnished 
•with  water  by  a  canal  3  miles  in  length,  through  which  the 
boat  will  pass. 

Plymouth  Locks.  The  marble  quarries  are  in  this  vi 
cinity. 


ROUTES    TO   THE    COAL    MINE3.  229 


contains  some  fine  houses,  as  well  as  a 
court  house,  jail,  and  two  churches,  one  in  the  Gothic 
style,  which  stands  in  a  conspicuous  situation. 

READING,  54  miles  from  Philadelphia,  is  a  place  of 
considerable  importance,  inhabited  by  Germans,  and  con 
tains  some  handsome  public  buildings.  The  Union  Canal 
begins  2  miles  below  Reading,  passe?  up  the  western  shore 
of  the  river  to  the  valley  of  the  Tulpehocken;  and  then 
follows  that  valley  till  within  5  miles  of  Lebanon,  where 
begins  the  summit  level.  In  all  this  distance  it  rises  311 
feet,  by  numerous  locks  of  4  and  8  feet.  lift.  The  canal  is 
24  feet  wide  at  bottom,  4  deep  and  36  on  the  surface.  — 
On  this  part  of  the  canal  is  the  Tunnel;  an  excavation 
bored  through  a  hill  for  a  distance  of  729  feet,  the  face  of 
the  hill  having  been  cut  away  at  the  entrance  25  feet.  This 
dark  and  gloomy  passage  is  18  feet  in  breadth  and  14  feet 
high. 

We  retiirn  to  the  Schuylkill  Navigation.  From 
Reading,  the  road  passes  for  some  distance  near  the  river, 
and  affords  an  opportunity  to  see  the  canals,  dams,  &c. 
made  to  assist  the  navigation. 

The  road  to  Hamburgh  from  Reading,  lies  through  the 
Great  Limestone  Valley  of  Pennsylvania  ;  which  has  the 
Kitta  tinny  chain  of  mountains  on  the  north,  and  the  Blue 
Ridge  on  the  south.  The  surface  is  beautifully  varied  by 
the  natural  undulations  of  the  surface. 

HAMBURGH  is  a  small  village  with  nearly  a  hundred 
houses,  with  a  church  situated  in  a  romantic  position,  at 
the  entrance  of  the 

Schuylkill  Water  Gap.  This  is  a  narrow  gorge, 
through  which  the  river  runs  over  a  steep  and  rocky  chan 
nel  for  4  or  5  miles;  l.-aving  no  room  upon  its  banks, 
which  rise  abruptly  on  each  side  to  the  height  of 
several  hundred  feet.  The  road  has  been  cut  out  along 
the  face  of  one  of  these  ranges,  at  a  great  elevation  ; 
where  the  surface  is  in  many  places  of  such  a  declivity, 
as  to  require  it  to  be  supported  by  walls  of  stone.  The 
views  which  are  here  afforded  to  the  traveller,  are  roman 
tic  and  varied  in  a  high  degree. 

The  Little  Schuylkill  River,  a  branch  of  the  principal 
stream,  runs  through  a  valley  of  the  same  general  descrip 
tion  ;  and  here  lies  the  road  to  Mount  Carbon. 


230  ROUTES    TO   THE    COAL   MINES. 

The  TunneL  This  is  a  place  where  a  hill  has  been 
bored  through  375  yards  for  a  canal,  about  3  miles  from 
Orwigsburgh. 

MOUNT  CARBON,  8  miles,  is  in  sight  of  several  coal 
mines. 

The  coal  country  in  this  region  begins  in  Luzerne,  on  the 
upper  part  of  the  Lackawana  river,  following  its  course  to 
the  Susquehanna,  and  along  that  stream,  principally  on  the 
eastern  bank,  to  18  miles  beyond  Wilkesbarre  It  runs 
south  to  the  Lehigh  river,  and  thence  southwest,  through 
Schuylkill  county. 

It  is  estimated  to  extend  about  100  miles  ;  and  about  the 
middle  of  the  range  is  8  or  9  miles  wide,  growing  narrower 
towards  each  end.  At  Mount  Carbon  the  coal  occurs  in 
beds  4  or  5  feet  in  thickness,  generally  running  east  and 
west;  and  dipping  to  the  south  at  45°,  with  a  slate  rock 
immediately  over  it,  and  strata  of  sandstone  and  earth 
above.  The  slate,  as  usual,  in  the  vicinity  of  coal,  pre 
sents  the  impressions  of  organized  substances,  at  some  an 
cient  period  imbedded  in  its  substance :  such  as  the  leaves 
of  laurel,  fern,  £c. 

In  consequence  of  the  inclination  of  the  coal  veins  into 
the  earth,  the  miners  have,  in  some  places,  snnk  shafts  to 
the  depth  of  150  feet,  with  lateral  excavations,  east  and 
west,  of  various  lengths  to  300.  Two  small  carriages 
called  Trams,  are  used  in  a  sloping  shaft  to  bring  the  coal 
out,  being  made  to  descend  by  turns  ;  but  in  the  horizontal 
one,  which  has  been  carried  in  several  hundred  feet,  they 
employ  wheelbarrows.  Some  of  the  veins  run  perpendicu 
larly. 

The  mammoth  coal  mine  of  Messrs.  Stees  and  Oliver, 
near  Pinegrove,  took  fire  in  March,  1841,  and  continued 
to  burn.  Beyond  Newcastle,  Pa.  is  a  mine  which  has 
been  burning  several  months,  and  formed  several  openings 
or  craters  on  the  top  of  a  mountain. 

ROAD  TO  THE  LEHIGH  COAL  MINES  AT  MAUCH  CHUNK. 

Philadelphia  to  Rising  Sun,  4  miles ;  Branchtown, 
(Child's  Tavern,)  4;  Shoemakertown,  8  ;  Jenkintown,  10; 
Abington,  12;  Willowgrove,  14;  Horsham,  16;  Graham 
park,  22;  Newville;  Doylestown,  26;  Danville,  29;  Ro 
derick's  tavern, ;  Tohicken  bridge ;  Easton,  5  ;  Mauch 
Chunk. 


ROUTES  TO  THE  COAL  MINES.  231 

New  Hope  is  in  a  romantic  situation  ;  and  Goat  Hill 
rises  opposite  to  the  height  of  500  feet,  its  top  affording-  a 
fine  view. 

Delaware  Water  Gap.  The  scenery  at  this  spot  is 
beautiful.  The  course  of  the  river  appears  at  a  little  dis 
tance  as  if  arrested  by  two  opposite  mountains,  between 
•which  it  flows  in  a  narrow  channel,  suddenly  contracting 
itself  to  a  furlong's  breadth  from  a  broad,  smooth,  and  un 
broken  sheet,  like  a  lake  of  considerable  extent. 

Easton  is  a  village  of  some  size,  and  a  central  point  from 
which  numerous  roads  diverge,  and  stage  coaches  run  in 
various  directions.  It  is  situated  in  a  rich  valley,  enclosed 
by  the  South  and  Blue  Mountains.  It  is  about  52  miles 
from  Philadelphia  and  contains  many  inhabitants.  Ex 
cellent  slates  are  made  here.  Within  a  compass  of  a 
mile  and  a  half  are  18  mills. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  distances  from  Easton  on  the 
different  stage  routes.  New-York,  70  miles  ;  Schoolev's 
Mountain,  23;  Morristown,  41;  New-Brunswick,  45; 
Bethlehem,  12;  Mauch  Chunk,  34;  Nazareth,  7;  Dela 
ware  Wind  Gap,  12  ;  Water  Gap,  20;  Stroudsburgh,  27; 
Wilkesbarre,  52  ;  Belvidere,  12  ;  Reading,  52  ;  Newtown, 
(Sussex  county,)  40. 

THE  DELAWARE  AND  HUDSON  CANAL.  It  commences 
at  Kingston  on  the  Hudson  river,  and  runs  over  to  the 
Delaware  river,  through  the  valley  of  the  Neversink  creek, 
thence  up  the  valley  of  the  Delaware  to  the  Lackawaxen 
creek,  and  up  that  creek  to  the  foot  of  the  railway.  This 
is  a  continuous  canal  of  117  miles  in  length.  The  railway 
commences  at  the  termination  of  the  canal,  and  runs  over 
Moosick  mountain  to  the  coal  mines  at  Carbondale  on  the 
Lackavvana  creek,  16  1-2  miles,  overcoming  an  elevation 
of  858  feet. 

At  Easton  will  be  seen  the  Dam  over  the  Delaware,  at 
the  termination  of  the  works  for  improving  the  navigation 
of  Lehigh  river,  from  Mauch  Chunk  to  this  place. 

The  road  to  Mauch  Chunk  leads  through  Bethlehem, 
12  miles.  This  is  a  neatly  built  place  in  a  romantic  and 
delightful  situation,  along  the  course  of  a  swift  running 
brook.  It  is  inhabited  by  Germans,  and  little  English  will 
be  heard  spoken  in  the  place.  There  is  an  old  church  and 


232  MA.UCH  CHUNK. 

:tu  academy  for  the  education  of  girls,  under  the  manage 
ment  of  the  Moravians. 

The  works  on  the  Lehigh  river  are  on  a  large  scale. 
The  river  descends  365  feet,  and  requires  52  locks  and 
21  dams.  The  locks  are  intended  for  steamboats  capable 
of  carrying  150  tons  of  coal,  100  feet  long  and  30  wide. 

The  Lehigh  Water  Gap,  25  miles  from  ^aston  and  11 
from  Lehighton,  6  miles  from  Mauch  Chunk,  Here  is  a 
bridge.  The  first  objects  that  attract  attention  near  the 
village  of  Mauch  Chunk,  are  the  lock  in  the  river,  and  the 
chute  or  inclined  plane,  at  the  end  of  the  railway,  down 
which  the  loaded  coal  cars  slide  to  the  wharf  on  the  river, 
where  they  load  the  boats  and  arks.  The  latter  carry  about 
10  tons.  The  train  of  cars  coming  down  the  railway 
will  often  be  heard  rumbling  as  the  traveller  approaches 
the  village. 

MAUCH  CHUNK,  90  miles  from  New-York  and  70  from 
Philadelphia.  There  is  a  spacious  hotel  in  this  young  and 
flourishing  village,  which  has  been  well  kept,  and  serves 
as  the  rendezvous  for  numerous  parties  of  visiters  every 
season.  There  are  few  places  where  a  stranger  will  find 
more  to  gratify  him  than  here.  The  village  is  shut  in  by 
rude  mountains,  of  such  height  that  the  sun  is  invisible  to 
many  of  the  inhabitants  during  the  short  days.  The  hotel 
commands  a  view  of  some  parts  of 

The  Railway,  which  leads  from  near  the  coal  mines  to 
the  Lehigh  River.  This  was  the  second  ever  constructed 
in  the  United  States — the  Quincy  Railway,  in  Massachu 
setts,  being  the  first.  It  extends  a  distance  of  nine  miles, 
along  the  side  of  a  mountain. 

The  sleepers,  on  which  the  railway  rests,  are  of  wood. 
The  rails  are  also  of  wood,  4  by  6  inches,  and  covered  with 
an  iron  plate  f  of  an  inch  thick. 

The  coal  mine  lies  a  little  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
mountain;  and  the  coal  cars  are  first  drawn  by  horses  to 
the  beginning  of  the  railway  up  an  acclivity  of  5-8ths  of  a 
mile.  The  summit  is  982  feet  above  the  river. 

Pleasure  wagons,  like  dearborns,  are  occasionally  used 
to  carry  strangers  up  and  down  the  railway ;  but  they  often 
go  up  in  the  returning  cars.  The  average  rise  of  the  way 
is  18  inches  in  100  feet,  which  is  scarcely  perceptible  to  the 
eye,  and  permits  a  single  horse  to  draw  up  three  empty 


ROUTES  TO  THE  COAL  MIMES.  233 

*cars.  In  coming  down,  however,  by  their  own  gravity,  the 
carriages  would,  if  permitted,  move  with  immense  rapidity. 
In  1827  they  were  restricted  to  a  rate  not  exceeding  8 
miles  an  hour.  It  is  said  that  they  had  previously  gone  15 
and  even  20.  The  road  generally  passes  along  a  narrow 
shelf,  which  is  alarming  to  a  stranger,  particularly  in  de 
scending  ;  some  of  the  precipices  being  500  or  600  feet. 

The  Tunnel  is  seen  in  going  up,  about  400  feet  above 
the  road.  It  is  12  feet  high,  20  wide,  and  about  800  long. 
It  was  cut  through  the  mountain  in  1826,  to  obtain  a  short 
passage  to  a  bed  of  coal  supposed  to  lie  on  the  other  side. 
A  shaft  was  sunk  sixty-four  feet  from  the  summit  of  tho 
hill  without  finding  coal ;  five  hundred  feet  beyond  this 
shaft  towards  the  north,  a  hole  has  been  bored  to  the 
depth  of  one  hundred  and  ten  feet;  coal  was  found  at  eighty 
feet,  and  the  auger  continued  in  coal  to  the  extremity  of 
the  bore.  The  Company,  however,  were  disappointed ; 
but  they  have  an  inexhaustible  supply  of  this  useful  article, 
as  their  land  extends  14  miles  back  from  the  river,  and 
along  the  road ;  and  10  or  12  miles  are  underlaid  by  beds 
of  anthracite  coal. 

The  cars  are  made  of  strong  oak  timbers,  and  planked 
up  on  three  sides,  with  a  swinging  door  in  the  rear. 
Some  have  been  constructed,  in  which  stout  sheet  iron 
has  been  substituted  for  plank.  They  are  six  feet  four 
inches  long,  three  feet  wide  at  top,  and  two  feet  at  bot 
tom,  and  about  three  feet  in  depth,  resting  on  wheels  with 
cast  iron  rims  or  fellies  two  feet  in  diameter,  one  inch 
thick,  and  about  four  inches  in  breadth,  with  a  strong1 
edge  or  flanch,  one  inch  in  thickness,  and  about  two 
inches  wide,  which  prevents  them  from  slipping  off  the 
rails. 

The  cars  may  be  stopped  immediately  by  a  long  lever, 
which  brings   strong  bearers   against  two  of  the   wheels, 
and  causes  great  friction.     The  guide  to  every  brigade  of 
eleven  cars  holds  a  rope  attached  to  all  the  levers. 
A  curious  machine,  called  the  Brake,  is  also  used. 
There  is   generally  a  stop  to  be  made  in   the  midst  of 
the  course,  to  wait  for  other  cars  passing,  and  to  oil  the 
wheels. 

Several  ingenious  experiments  have  been  resorted  to  in 
different  parts  of  the  railroad,  to  avoid  some  inconve- 


234       ROUTES  FROM  PHILADELPHIA. 

niencies  which  might  otherwise  be  caused  by  sudden  turns, 
right  angles,  cross  roads,  bridges,  &c.  The  railway  is  in 
several  parts  supported  by  a  stone  wall  at  the  side.  Cross 
roads  are  not  intercepted  by  it,  for  the  rails  are  inter 
rupted  so  as  to  correspond  with  the  ruts ;  at  the  short 
turns,  one  rail  is  raised  in  a  curve  of  a  few  inches  to  give 
the  car  a  new  direction  ;  and  at  a  right  angle,  like  those 
at  the  mine  and  at  the  chute  above  the  Lehigh,  revolving 
platforms  are  placed  which  turn  the  cars  round,  forty-five 
degrees. 

The  cars  themselves  weigh  about  1500  Ibs.  each,  and 
run  on  wheels  two  feet  in  diameter.  Strangers  often  make 
an  excursion  in  them  for  the  novelty  of  the  mode  of  tra 
velling.  Several  hundreds  of  such  cars  are  in  use.  They 
carry  the  coal  to  the  Chute  above  the  river,  down  which 
they  are  sent  315  feet. 

At  the  end  of  the  railroad  is  a  platform  on  the  bank 
of  the  Lehigh  river,  down  which  the  coal  is  let  over  one 
of  the  rails  on  an  inclined  plane  of  750  feet,  (200  feet 
perpendicular  height,)  to  the  stone  houses,  the  wharf 
and  the  boats.  Each  loaded  car  is  connected  to  an  empty 
one,  which  it  draws  up,  by  a  rope  that  passes  round  a 
large  cylinder  or  drum.  A  car  goes  down  in  about  one 
minute  arid  twenty  seconds.  The  noise  of  the  cars  on  the 
railway  i*  perceptible  at  a  great  di-tance. 

The  Mine,  or  quarry,  opens  upon  the  road  by  passages 
f.ut  in  the  earth.  These  conduct  into  an  area  formed 
with  great  regularity,  by  the  removal  of  coal,  which  has 
been  dug  out  in  such  a  manner  as  to  keep  the  surface  on 
an  inclined  plane,  where  the  carts  drive  in,  load,  and  then 
pass  out  at  the  other  passage.  The  coal  is  very  hard, 
pure  and  black,  with  a  beautiful  conchoidal  fracture,  and 
perfectly  clean  in  handling. 

The  surface  of  the  ground  was  covered  with  a  coat  of 
sand  two  feet  thick,  interspersed  with  sandstone;  under 
that  was  eight  feet  of  black  pulverized  coal;  and  then 
came  the  coal  itself. 

Routes  from  Philadelphia  to  Baltimore    and  Pitts- 
burgh. 

From  Philadelphia  to  Baltimore,  through  Frenchlown, 
115  miles  by  steamboat  and  railroad;  steamboat  to  Fort 


FROM    PHILADELPHIA    TO    NEW-YORK.  235 

Mifflin,  Smiles;  Chester,  10;  Marcus  Hook,  4;  Christia 
na  Creek,  Delaware,  8 ;  New-Castle,  5 ;  Railroad  to 
Frenchtown,  Maryland,  16  ;  Steamboat  to  Turkey  Point, 
13  ;  Pool's  Island,  22  ;  Miller's  Island,  8  ;  North  Point, 
8  ;  Fort  McHenry,  10  ;  Baltimore,  3. 

Do.  through  Wilmington,  94  miles  by  railroad.  To 
Wilmington,  28  miles;  Elkton,  18;  Port  Deposit,  11  J 
Havre  de  Grace,  5;  (Here  you  cross  the  Sasquehannah 
near  the  lower  falls  in  a  steamboat)  ;  Bush  River  Viaduct, 
13  ;  Gunpowder  River  Viaduct,  (a  mile  long,  a  striking 
scene,)  8;  Baltimore,  11. 

From  Philadelphia  to  Pittsburgh,  391  miles.  The 
railroad  (from  Vine  and  Broad-streets,)  leads  through 
Pratt's  Garden,  and  crosses  Schuylkill  river  above  Fair- 
mount,  on  a  viaduct  1045  feet  long,  30  above  the  water. 
It  passes  Buck  Tavern,  1 1  miles  from  Philadelphia, 
Paoli,  10;  Valley  Creek,  8;  Coatesville,  11;  Gap,  11  J 
Mill  Creek,  6;  Lancaster,  12;  Mountjoy,  12;  Middletown, 
15  ;  Harrisburgh,  9  ;  Canal  to  the  Gap  of  the  Blue  Ridge, 
5;  Duncan's  Island,  12  ;  Newport,  10;  Thompsontown, 
11;  Mitflintown,  11;  Lewistown,  14;  Waynesburgh,  14  J 
Huntingdon,  29;  Alexandria,  14;  Williamsburgh,  12; 
Hollidaysburgh,  13.  The  Portage  railroad,  37  miles 
long,  crosses  the  Alleghany  mountains  to  Johnstown, 
rising  1398  feet,  and  descending  1172,  by  five  inclined 
planes  on  each  side.  On  the  top  is  the  tunnel,  870  feet  long, 
and  20  high.  A  canal  to  Laurel  Hill,  7  ;  (passing  a  tun- 
nel  of  917  feet  under  a  farm  and  a  well ',)  Lockport,  10; 
Blainsville,  13;  Saltzburgh,  16;  Warrentown,  12;  Leech- 
burgh,  10;  Alleghany  Aqueduct,  3;  Logan's  Ferry,  15; 
Pittsburgh,  18. 

From  Philadelphia  to  Pittsburgh,  railroad  and  stage 
route,  305  miles,  about  3£  days ;  railroad  to  Harrisburgh, 
105;  Chambersburgh,  51;  stagecoaches  to  McConnels- 
town,  19;  Bedford,  31;  Shellsburgh,  9;  Stoystown,  19; 
Laughlintown,  16  ;  Greensburgh,  23  ;  Pittsburgh,  32. 

ROUTE  FROM  PHILADELPHIA  TO  NEW-YORK. 

Leaving  Philadelphia  for  New-York,  the  ship  house,  in 
the  navy  yard,  is  seen  over  the  little  island  in  the  river. 
Near  the  upper  part  of  the  city  are  the  ship  yards  *,  and 
21 


236  BATTLE   Of   TRENTOM. 

beyond,  three  glass  houses  ndar  the  water,  with  white 
walls  and  black  roofs.  Steeples  and  shot  towers  are  the 
principal  objects  rising  above  the  great  mass  of  houses 
in  the  city. 

The  banks  of  the  Delaware  are  low,  and  present  an  uni 
formity  quite  unfriendly  to  the  picturesque.  The  towns 
are,  however*  interesting  in  the  history  of  the  revolution, 
as  will  be  se»n  a  little  beyond. 

BURLINGTON  in  New-Jersey,  18  miles  from  Philadel 
phia,  presents  a  handsome  appearance ;  with  a  row  of 
fine  residences  facing  the  river,  in  front  of  which  is  a  street 
with  a  beautiful  sloping  bank. 

BRISTOL,  a  little  above,  and  on  the  opposite  side,  had 
also  a  number  of  gentlemen's  seats  ;  and  handsome 
flower  gardens  on  the  bank,  ornamented  with  fine  wil* 
lows,  &c. 

BORDENTOWN,  28  miles  from  Philadelphia,  and  7  be 
low  Trenton,  stands  on  a  steep  sand  bank,  through  which 
a  road  is  cut  to  the  water.  Just  north  of  the  village  is  the 
late  residence  of  Joseph  Bonaparte,  the  Count  de  Survil-1 
Hers,  once  King  of  Spain. 

TRENTON,  33  m.  from  Philadelphia.  This  town,  at  the 
falls  of  the  river,  is  the  capital  of  the  state  of  New  Jer 
sey.  Trenton  is  a  town  of  considerable  size,  with  a  great 
number  of  stores  and  the  aspect  of  business.  The  bridge 
across  the  Delaware  has  5  arches,  and  is  a  handsome 
structure. 

Lamberton  is  a  village  where  the  coach  offices  are,  and 
apparently  forms  a  part  of  Trenton. 

The  State  Prison  is  situated  a  little  south  of  the  town. 

In  Dec.  1776,  the  English  had  4000  men  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Delaware,  in  Trenton,  Bordentown,  Black- 
horse,  and  Burlington,  with  strong  detachments  at  Prince 
ton  and  New-Brunswick,  with  their  magazines. 

On  Christmas  night,  three  divisions  of  the  American 
troops  attempted  to  cross  the  Delaware !  one  at  Bristol 
for  Burlington ;  one  a  mile  below  Trenton  ;  and  one  nine 
miles  above,  under  Washington  and  Greene.  This  was 
the  largest,  but  principally  militia;  it  approached  Trenton 
by  two  roads,  attacking  it  at  8,  A.  M.  very  unexpectedly, 
and  putting  the  English  and  German  troops  (about  1500) 
to  the  rout.  500  escaped  ;  the  rest  surrendered,  being 


FROM    PHILADELPHIA   TO    NEW-YORK.  237 

the  regiments  of  Ralle,  Anspach,  and  Knyphausen.  Ralle 
was  killed  in  resisting.  The  other  divisions  could  not 
cross  on  account  of  the  ice,  and  Washington  returned  with 
his  captives  and  six  pieces  of  artillery.  This  successful 
stroke  greatly  encouraged  the  country,  as  it  was  the  first 
victory  over  those  German  mercenaries. 

Washington  soon  after  recrossed  the  river,  and  posted 
his  army  at  Trenton.  On  the  2d  of  Jan.  1777,  Lord  Coin- 
wallis  reached  Trenton ;  and  Washington  fortified  himself 
on  the  Assurmick.  But  he  was  too  weak  to  hazard  an 
engagement;  and  the  Delaware  was  filled  with  ice. 

Being  hardly  pressed,  Washington  had  formed  the  plan 
of  a  retreat,  expecting  to  be  unable  to  remove  any  thing 
but  the  soldiers  and  what  they  could  carry,  as  the  soil 
was  so  unfavourable,  and  the  weather  so  mild  and  wet, 
that  wagons  could  not  pass.  Cornwallis  had  sent  to 
Princeton  for  a  regiment  to  join  him,  that  he  might  attack 
the  Americans  immediately.  In  the  night,  however, 
General  Greene  reported  that  the  weather  had  suddenly 
become  cold  ;  and  at  midnight,  Washington  was  able  to 
begin  his  march,  with  all  his  baggage  and  artillery.  This 
was  done,  and  all  the  fires  left  burning.  The  British  had 
no  intimation  of  their  departure  until  they  heard  the  guns 
firing  at  Princeton. 

PRINCETON,  10  miles.  This  village  is  situated  on  an 
elevated  ridge  of  land,  which,  on  several  sides,  rises  with 
a  long  and  easy  slope,  and  commands  a  prospect  of  con 
siderable  extent. 

In  approaching  it  from  the  west,  the  Theological  Aca 
demy,  which  is  of  stone  and  4  stories  high,  is  seen  on  the 
right ;  and  Nassau  Hail  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  oppo 
site  the  stage  house.  The  college  yard  is  large  and 
shaded  with  trees  ;  and  the  burying  ground  contains  the 
ashes  of  the  presidents  of  the  institution:  Aaron  Burr, 
Jonathan  Edwards,  Samuel  Davis,  Samuel  Finlcy,  John 
Witherspoon,  and  Samuel  S.  Smith. 

Washington  met  at  Stony  Brook,  north  of  the  pre 
sent  road,  a  little  way  from  Princeton,  and  defeated  the 
British  regiment.  He  then  marched  north  to  the  high 
grounds  at  Mornstown. 

During  the  battle  of  Princeton,  it  is  related  that  a  can- 


238  BAY   OP   NEW-YORK. 

non  shot  entered  the  chapel,  and  tore  away  the  head  from 
a  portrait  of  George  III. 

NEW-BRUNSWICK.  Here  steamboats  as  well  as  the  rail 
road  communicate  with  New-York. 

Tne  view  is  pretty  from  the  hill  above ;  whence  the 
public  buildings  appear  to  good  advantage,  particularly 
the  Theological  Seminary,  which  is  under  the  synod  of 
the  Dutch  Re  for  mod  Church.  The  banks  below  art  pic 
turesque,  but  afterwards  are  low  and  little  varied. 

In  the  spring  of  1777,  Washington  advanced  from  near 
Mornstown  to  Middlebrook,  where  he  intrenched  himself 
on  the  heights,  in  full  view  of  New- Brunswick.  The  Bri 
tish  tried  various  stratagems  to  decoy  him  from  this  com 
manding  position,  and  once  succeeded  ;  but  discovering 
their  intentions  to  surround  him,  he  quickly  regained  it, 
and  they  were  soon  after  obliged  to  give  up  all  hopes  of 
penetrating  in  this  diiection,  and  devoted  their  attention 
to  co-operating  with  Gen.  Burgoyne,  who  was  corning 
down  towards  Albany. 

PERTH  AMBOY,  13  miles.  Here  is  usually  some  ship 
ping;  but  the  place  has  little  to  attract  observation. 

EUZABETHTOWN  POINT,  15  miles  from  New-York. 
The  village  is  partly  seen  about  2  miles  inland 

STATEN  ISLAND  is  large  and  elevated,  with  but  few  in 
habitants,  and  a  small  cluster  of  houses. 

On  entering  New-York  Bay,  Fort  Lafayette  is  seen  in 
the  Narrows,  between  Staten  and  Long  Islands,  which  is 
the  passage  to  the  &ea.  The  city  presents  a  close  mass 
of  houses,  with  Castle  Williams  on  Governor's  Island, 
seen  near  it  on  the  right ;  and  Kllis's  and  Bedlow's  Isl 
ands  on  the  left  with  thoir  fortifications.  On  approach 
ing,  the  prommentobjects  are  the  tall  steeples  of  numerous 
churches,  the  dome  of  the  City  Hall,  and  other  prominent 
buildii.gs.  The  clusters  of  trees  observed  on  the  shore  in 
front  of  the  city,  are  on  the  Battery  :  a  place  once  fortified, 
but  now  the  principal  public  square  ;  and  Castle  Clinton 
just  west  of  it  has  been  converted  into  a  place  of  amuse 
ment  for  summer  evenings. 


ROUTE  TO  THE  VIRGINIA  SPRIN.GS. 

The  Virginia  Springs.  Mineral  springs  of  different 
kinds  are  found  in  almost  every  county  in  this  state  west  of 
the  Blue  Ridge  5  and  some  of  them  are  much  resorted  to 
in  late  years  by  invalids  and  travellers  for  pleasure  from  a 
distance,  not  a  few  of  whom  come  from  the  northern  states. 
The  accommodations  are  various.  At  some  the  visitor 
fares  well ;  at  others,  families  find  it  necessary  to  take 
servants  and  some  furniture  with  them,  if  they  wish  to  be 
comfortable,  as  they  will  find  no  habitations  provided,  ex 
cept  small  ones,  chiefly  log  houses,  while  a  common  table 
is  SPt  in  the  hall  of  a  pavilion. 

The  Hot  Springs,  in  Bath  county,  are  considered  use 
ful  in  rheumatic  cases,  and  resorted  to  chiefly  in  July  and 
August.  The  water  of  one  is  at  96°,  and  another  as  high 
as  112°,  Fahrenheit. 

The  Sweet  Springs  are  in  Monroe  county,  and  are  at 
times  much  frequented  by  a  variety  of  company. 

The  Natural  Bridge  is  one  of  the  greatest  natural  cu 
riosities  in  the  United  States.  It  is  so  well  formed,  so 
safe  and  so  conveniently  situated,  that  it  is  crossed  by  a 
public  road.  The  traveller,  however,  might  easily  pass  it 
without  observing  it ;  as  it  is  60  feet  broad,  and  partly  over 
grown  with  trees.  To  see  it  a  stop  must  be  made,  and 
the  traveller  must  walk  to  the  brow  of  the  precipice.  The 
finest  view  is  from  below;  and  to  enjoy  it  he  must  descend 
to  the  level  of  Cedar  creek,  which  flows  there.  The 
banks  are  almost  perpendicular  for  an  extent  of  about  80 
yards,  and  almost  200  feet  in  height,  where  they  are  con 
nected  by  the  bridge,  which  forms  a  fine  arch  from  side  to 
side,  surprisingly  regular  for  a  work  of  nature.  The  dis 
tance  between  the  banks  at  the  water's  level  is  45  feet, 
and  90  above.  The  bridge  consists  of  a  solid  rock,  filling 
the  upper  part  of  this  chasm,  and  of  about  the  following 
dimensions  :  length  90  feet,  breath  60,  and  thickness  40. 

Wier's  Cave.  This  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  ca 
verns  in  the  world,  and  is  well  worthy  of  a  visit.  It  is  also 
in  Rockingham  county.  It  is  under  the  charge  of  a  man 
whose  care  and  attentions  may  be  relied  on  by  strangers. 
He  will  furnioh  specimens  of  the  beautiful  spar  with 
21* 


240  WIER'S    CATE. 

which  it  abounds,  and  pack  them  for  transportation.  Every 
visiter  here  and  at  other  mineral  localities,  should  procure 
specimens,  if  not  an  entire  suite  of  specimens,  for  himself, 
his  friends,  or  some  scientific  institution  or  association. 

Wier's  Cave  extends  about  800  yards,  and  is  divided 
into  several  apartments  of  different  sizes.  Torches  must 
be  carried  the  whole  distance;  and  those  who  wish  to  ex 
amine  it  at  leisure  should  take  in  some  refreshments.  The 
guides  will  illuminate  some  parts  by  planting  lights  in  se 
veral  places.  The  walls  are  formed  of  the  most  beautiful 
crystallized  caibonate  of  lime,  or  calcareous  spar.  The 
crystals  are  of  various  forms,  size  and  colour,  and  reflect  the 
light  with  a  most  brilliant  sparkling.  In  some  places  are 
thin  sheets  of  the  same  incrustations,  which  have  the  ap 
pearance  of  richly  flowing  drapery  ;  and  from  the  lofty 
ro,)f  of  one  of  the  halls  is  one  which  appears  as  if  floating 
in  the  air.  It  has  received  the  name  of  Elijah's  Mantle. 
Numerous  stalactites  hang  from  the  roof  like  icicles  ;  others 
form  beautiful  colonnades,  extending  to  the  floor.  Many 
stalagmites  stand  on  the  ground,  several  feet  high,  In  the 
"  Organ  Room"  are  rows  of  these,  which  are  not  only 
small,  hollow,  and  often  transparent,  but  so  slender  as  to 
vibrate  when  touched,  and  give  musical  sounds  of  various 
pitches,  like  the  notes  of  an  instrument. 

Other  particulars,  equally  interesting,  we  have  not  room 
to  give. 

Madison's  Cave,  in  the  same  county,  though  only  300 
feet  in  extent,  is  somewhat  similar  to  Wier's  Cave;  and 
another  in  Frederick  county,  near  the  North  Mountain. 
The  Blowing  Cave  is  situated  in  the  Alleghany  Moun 
tains,  and  another  in  the  Cumberland  ridge. 

In  other  parts  of  the  United  States  are  many  caves, 
most  of  which  however  lie  out  of  the  principal  routes  of 
travellers.  Of  these,  the  great,  Kentucky  Cavern  is  the 
principal,  which  is  probably  the  largest  in  the  world, 
being  ten  miles  or  more  in  extent,  with  halls  covering 
several  acres.  In  the  north,  caves  of  considerable  inter 
est  are  found  on  the  Swatara  river,  Pennsylvania,  Water- 
town  and  Rhinebeck,  New- York,  besides  several  in  Ver 
mont,  in  Derby,  Dorset  and  Clarendon.  Most  of  these  are 
ia  limestone  regions,  and  have  probably  been  formed  by  the 
washing  of  subterranean  currents  of  water. 


ROUTES  FROM  5£\V-ORLEANS  NORTH.      241 

Richmond,  the  capital  of  Virginia,  is  on  the  eastern 
iside  of  James  River,  about  150  miles  from  its  mouth. 
Fine  steamboats  go  up  to  the  city,  but  ships  stop  a  short 
distance  below.  The  falls  forbid  navigation  above,  ex 
cept  to  boats.  There  is  a  canal  for  boats  round  the  falls, 
32  miles  long.  The  principal  streets  are  broad  and  straight. 
The  Capitol  is  a  fine  building  on  an  eminence  on  the 
model  of  a  Grecian  temple.  Mines  of  inferior  bituminous 
coal  in  the  vicinity  furnish  much  of  the  fuel.  There  are 
some  pleasant  rides  in  the  neighbourhood. 

Norfolk,  the  principal  seaport  of  Virginia,  is  situated 
at  the  mouth  of  Chesapeake  Bay,  on  a  part  of  that  exten 
sive  level,  sandy,  pine  bearing  region,  which  forms  the 
eastern  coast  of  the  United  States,  from  New-Jersey  south 
ward.  There  is  nothing  interesting  in  the  scenery ;  and 
but  little  to  attract  a  traveller.  The  United  States  Navy 
Yard  is  opposite. 

The  Dismal  Swamp  Canal  extends  into  North  Caro 
lina  to  Albemarle  sound,  23  miles. 

Old  Point  Comfort,  on  the  Chesapeake,  is  the  posi 
tion  of  one  of  the  strongest  fortresses  in  the  Union.  The 
situation  is  low,  sandy  and  solitary,  and  scarcely  discerni 
ble  from  the  steamboat  in  passing. 

SOUTHERN  ROUTES  AND  DISTANCES. 

From  New-Orleans  to  Charleston,  by  land  and  water. 
Mobile  114  miles,  Steamboat  to  St.  Joseph's  215,  Steam* 
boat  to  St.  Mark's  85,  Railroad  to  Tallahassee  21,  stage 
coach  to  Brunswick,  Georgia,  210,  Steamboat  to  Charles 
ton  160. 

Or,  from  Mobile  by  stagecoaches  to  Montgomery,  Ala 
bama,  Columbus,  Indian  ;>prings,  Georgia,  lireensboro', 
and  by  railroad  to  Charleston. 

Railroad  from  Charleston  to  Augusta  136  rnilos,  12 
hours  The  country,  most  of  the  wav  is  nearly  level,  and 
sandy,  with  few  objects  of  interest.  To  Woodstock  15 
miles,  Sumrnersville  7,  Branchville  40,  Midway  10,  Blakes- 
ville  18,  Aiken  30.  Here  is  the  summit,  510  feet  above 
tide  water,  360  above  Augusta. 

Here  are  two  other   railroads  from  Augusta  :  one  to 


242  *ROM   CHARLESTON    TO   NEW-YORK. 

Athens,  Georgia,  114  miles  northeast;  one  east  to 
Greensoorough  100.  A  railroad  there  to  Knoxville,  Ten 
nessee  97,  is  to  be  made. 

From  Charleston  to  Savannah,  by  Steamboats  11  miles, 
Fort  Moultrie  4,  Coffin  Land  6,  Stony  Inlet  11,  S.  Edis- 
to  Inlet  27,  St.  Helena  Sound  3,  Tiuncard's  Inlet  21, 
Hilton  Head  4,  Bloody  Point  18,  Savannah  17. 

By  land  118  miles,  Ashley  River  6,  Green's  Tavern  8, 
Hick's,  do.  10,  Jackson  Borough  10,  Pompon  Post-office 
3,  Thompson's  Tavern  11,  Saltketcher  Church  9,  Pocota- 
ligo  7,  Coosawhatchee  6,  Beck's  Ferry  23,  Savannah  25. 

From  Savannah  a  railroad  is  partly  finished  northeast 
to  Macon,  210. 

From  Charleston  to  New- York  by  ship,  670  miles. 

To  Cape  Fear  120  miles,  Cape  Look  Out  75,  Cape 
Hatteras  78,  Capes  of  Virginia  140,  Cape  May  120,  Bar- 
negat  70,  Now- York  Bar  45,  Sandy  Hook  3,  Narrows 
11,  New-York  8. 

From  Charleston  to  New- York,  by  land  and  water. 
Steamboat  to  Wilmington,  North  Carolina,  daily,  14 hours. 
Railroad  to  Weldon,  through  Waynesboro'  and  Enfield, 
10  hours,  Railroad  to  Portsmouth,  77  miles  up  the  Ches 
apeake  Bay.  Steamboat  to  James  River  6,  Old  Point 
Comfort  20,  New  Point  Comfort  10,  Rappahannock  river, 
55,  St.  Mary's  Outlet  42,  Port  Tobacco  38,  Mouth  of 
Potomac  15,  Mount  Vernon  30,  Alexandria  9,  Washing 
ton  city  6.  Railroad  to  Baltimore,  through  Blacens- 
burgh. 

Or,  from  Norfolk  to  Baltimore  by  Steamboat  197 
miles.  Or  from  Norfolk  to  Richmond  by  Steamboat  117, 
passing  Jamestown  24,  the  first  settlement  in  Virginia, 
(1609.) 

Or,  from  Weldon,  North  Carolina,  to  Washington, 
through  Petersburgh,  204  miles.  Railroad  to  Petersburgh, 
Virginia  60,  Richmond  22,  Fredericksburgh  64,  Belle- 
plaine  11.  Steamboat  to  Washington,  as  before,  47. 


REFLECTIONS,   &.C.  243 

Reflections  of  the   Traveller  at  the  termination  of 
his  Journey. 

An  intelligent  and  virtuous  traveller  cannot  fail  to  have 
made  many  useful  observations,  and  experienced  many 
feelings  of  an  interesting  nature,  which  he  will  wish  to 
lay  up  in  his  memory,  and  recur  to  in  future.  In  such  a 
person,  travelling  tends  to  foster  patriotism  of  the  best 
kind.  We  know  the  beauty  of  that  inheritance,  which 
we  have  received  from  our  ancestors,  when  we  have  seen 
it ;  and  intercourse  with  our  most  estimable  countrymen 
leads  us  to  place  a  proper  value  on  our  national  institu 
tions  and  national  union. 

On  returning  to  the  enjoyments  of  home  and  friends, 
with  becoming  feelings  of  gratitude  to  Him,  whose  hand 
has  guided  and  protected  us,  how  natural  is  the  in 
quiry,  "  how  may  I  act  for  the  improvement  of  society 
around  me  ?"  If  we  have  learned  any  lessons  of  disinter 
estedness,  let  us  endeavour  to  bring  them  into  habitual 
practice.  If  we  have  acquired  any  knowledge  which 
might  be  useful  to  agriculture,  arts  or  sciences  in  our 
neighbourhood,  let  us  impart  it  to  those  who  know  how 
to  apply  it.  Popular  lectures,  libraries  and  literary  and 
scientific  associations  will  merit  patronage. 

One  of  the  most  important  subjects  which  now  occupy 
the  attention  of  our  countrymen,  is  public  education;  and 
in  several  of  the  states,  especially  that  of  New-York,  the 
traveller  may  have  seen  most  valuable  plans  of  improve 
ment  in  operation.  No  man  can  be  too  much  engrossed 
in  business,  or  in  too  obscure  a  situation,  to  exert  some 
useful  influence  in  favour  of  the  common  schools  of  his 
state,  county,  town,  or  district.  He  may  excite  that  in 
terest  in  others  which  he  feels  himself,  impart  to  them  simi 
lar  views,  assist  in  procuring  better  methods  of  instruc 
tion  or  discipline,  found  a  district  library,  or  in  some  other 
way  promote  the  diffusion  of  the  sound  knowledge,  habits, 
taste,  and  sentiments,  which  the  country  30  much  needs, 
for  her  happiness  and  security. 


APPENDIX. 


Extract  of  a  letter  from  the  Baroness  Reidescl,  referred 
to  on  page  81. 

"But  severe  trials  awaited  us,  and  on  the  7th  of  Octo 
ber,  our  misfortunes  began.  I  was  at  breakfast  with  my 
husband,  and  heard  that  something  was  intended.  On  the 
same  day  I  expected  Generals  Burgoyne,  Phillips  and 
Frazer  to  dine  with  us.  I  saw  a  great  movement  among 
the  troops ;  my  husband  told  me,  it  was  merely  a  recon 
naissance,  which  gave  me  no  concern,  as  it  often  happened. 
I  walked  out  of  the  house  and  met  several  Indians  in  their 
war  dresses,  with  guns  in  their  hands.  When  I  asked 
them  where  they  were  going,  they  cried  out  War!  War! 
(meaning  they  were  going  to  battle.)  This  filled  me  with 
apprehension,  and  I  scarcely  got  home  before  I  heard  re 
ports  of  cannon  and  musketry,  which  grew  louder  by  de 
grees,  till  at  last  the  noise  became  excessive.  About  4 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  instead  of  the  guests  whom  I  ex 
pected,  General  Frazer  was  brought  on  a  litter  mortally 
wounded.  The  table  which  was  already  set,  was  instantly 
removed,  and  ,a  bed  placed  in  its  stead  for  the  wounded 
General.  I  sat  trembling  in  a  corner;  the  noise  grew 
louder  and  the  alarm  increased  ;  the  thought  that  my  hus 
band  might  perhaps  be  brought  in,  wounded  in  the  same 
way,  was  terrible  to  me,  and  distressed  me  exceedingly. 
General  Frazer  said  to  the  surgeon,  '  tell  me  if  my  wound 
is  mortal,  do  not  flatter  me.1  The  ball  had  passed  through 
his  body,  and  unhappily  for  the  General,  he  had  eaten  a 
very  hearty  breakfast,  by  which  the  stornach  was  distended, 
and  the  ball,  as  the  surgeon  said,  had  passed  through  it.  I 
heard  him  often  exclaim  with  a  sigh,  '  Oh  fatal  ambition ! 
Poor  General  Burgoyne !  Oh  my  poor  wife  !'  He  was  asked 
if  he  had  any  request  to  make,  to  which  he  replied,  that 


'If  General  Burgoyne  would  permit  it,  he  should  like  to 
be  buried  at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  on  the  top  of  a 
mountain,  in  a  redoubt  which  had  been  built  there.'  I  did 
not  know  which  way  to  turn,  all  the  other  rooms  were  full 
of  sick.  Towards  evening  I  saw  my  husband  coming, 
then  I  forgot  all  my  sorrows  and  thanked  God  that  he  was 
spared  to  me»  He  ate  in  great  haste  with  me  and  his  aid- 
de-camp,  behind  the  house.  We  had  been  told  that  we1 
had  the  advantage  of  the  enemy,  but  the  sorrowful  faces  I 
beheld  told  a  different  tale,  and  before  my  husband  went 
away,  he  took  me  one  side,  and  said  every  thing  was  going 
very  bad,  that  I  must  keep  myself  in  readiness  to  leave 
the  place,  but  not  to  mention  it  to  any  one.  I  made  the 
pretence  that  I  would  move  the  next  morning  into  my  new 
house,  and  had  every  thing  packed  up  ready. 

"  Lady  EL  Ackland  had  a  tent  not  far  from  our  house; 
in  this  she  slept,  and  the  rest  of  the  day  she  was  in  the 
camp.  All  of  a  sudden  a  man  came  to  tell  her  that  her 
husband  was  mortally  wounded  and  taken  prisoner ;  on 
hearing  this  she  became  very  miserable ;  we  comforted  her1 
by  telling  her,  that  the  wound  was  only  slight,  and  at  the 
same  time  advised  her  to  go  over  to  her  husband,  to  do 
which  she  would  certainly  obtain  permission,  a'nd  then  she 
could  attend  him  herself;  she  was  a  charming  woman  and 
very  fond  of  him.  I  spent  much  of  the  night  in  comforting 
her,  and  then  went  again  to  my  children  whom  I  had  put 
to  bed.  I  could  not  go  to  sleep,  as  I  had  General  Frazer 
and  all  the  other  wounded  gentlemen  in  my  room,  and  I 
was  sadly  afraid  my  children  would  awake,  and  by  their 
crying  disturb  the  dying  man  in  his  last  moments,  who 
often  addressed  me  and  apologized  lfor  the  trouble  he 
gave  me.'  About  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  was  told 
he  could  not  hold  out  much  longer  ;  I  had  desired  to  be 
informed  of  the  near  approach  of  this  sad  crisis,  and  I 
then  wrapped  up  my  children  in  their  clothes,  and  went 
with  them  into  the  room  below.  About  8  o'clock  in  the 
morning  he  died.  After  he  was  laid  out  and  his  corpse 
wrapped  up  in  a  sheet,  we  came  again  into  the  room,  and 
had  this  sorrowful  sight  before  us  the  whole  day,  a'nd  to 
add  to  this  melancholy  scene,  almost  every  moment  some 
officer  of  my  acquaintance  was  brought  in  wounded.  The 
cannonade  commenced  agnin  ;  a  retreat  was  spoken  off 


246 


APPENDIX; 


but  not  the  smallest  motion  was  made  towards  it.  About 
4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  I  saw  the  house  which  had  just 
been  built  for  me  in  flames,  and  the  enemy  was  now  not  far 
oft".  We  knew  that  General  Burgoyne  would  not  refuse 
the  last  request  of  General  Frazer,  though  by  his  acceding 
to  it,  an  unnecessary  delay  was  occasioned,  by  which  the 
inconvenience  of  the  army  was  much  increased.  At  6 
o'clock  th<-,  corpse  was  brought  out,  and  we  saw  all  the 
Generals  attend  it  to  the  mountain;  the  chaplain,  Mr. 
Brundell,  performed  the  funeral  service,  rendered  unusually 
solemn  and  awful,  from  its  being  accompanied  by  constant 
peals  from  the  enemy's  artillery.  Many  cannon  balls  flew 
close  by  me,  but  I  had  my  eyes  directed  towards  the 
mountain,  where  my  husband  was  standing,  amidst  the 
fire  of  the  enemy,  and  of  course,  I  could  not  think  of  my 
own  danger.  General  Gates  afterwards  said,  that  if  he 
had  known  it  had  been  a  funeral  he  would  not  have  per 
mitted  it  to  be  fired  on." 

Lady  Harriet  Ackland  went  to  the  American  camp 
after  the  action,  to  take  care  of  her  husband  before  the 
surrender,  and  the  Baroness  Reidesel  afterwards.  They 
were  both  received  with  the  greatest  kindness  and  deli 
cacy,  epecially  by  General  Schuyler. 


Population  according  to  the  Census  of  1830  and  1840. 

1830  1840 

Maine,         -         -  399,955  501,798 

New-Hampshire,  269,328  284,481 

Vermont,     -         -  280,652  291,818 

Massachusetts,    -  610,408  737,784 

Rhode  Island,      -  97,199  108,837 

Connecticut,         -  297,665  310,131 

New-York,           -  1,915,608  2,432,835 

New-Jersey,         -  320,823  373,276 

Pennsylvania,      -  1,348,233  1,850,000 

Delaware,  76,748  78,120 

Maryland,            -  447,040  467,567 

Ohio,           -        -  937,903  1,515,703 


INDEX 


Albany                       23,  27 

Chippewa 

55 

Alexandria  (D.    C.)       218 

Erie 

61 

Amherst                            157 

Groton 

167 

Andre's  Grave                   15 

Lake  George 

93 

Capture  and  Exec'n     19 

Lexington 

185 

Andover                             186 

Montmorency 

135 

Anthony's  Nose,  Hud.- 

Pequod                 141, 

168 

son  River                      17 

Plattsburgh 

109 

on  Erie  Canal             35 

Quebec 

132 

Lake  George               90 

Do.  in  1775 

133 

Antiquities  143,  45,  69,  73 

Queenston 

51 

Aqueduct 

Saratoga                  75 

t  78 

at  Little  Falls              37 

Ticorideroga 

96 

Rochester                      46 

Turner's  Falls 

159 

Arnold's  Treachery           19 

White  Plains 

14 

Arsenals 

Bellows'  Falla 

160 

Troy                          28 

Black  Rock 

66 

Quebec                   126 

Bloody  Brook 

158 

Springfield                         153 

Pond 

90 

Ascutney  Mountain         162 

Bloomfield 

70 

Auburn                                 72 

Blue  Hills 

175 

Ballston  Springs                 82 

Boston 

175 

Baltimore                         220 

Brattleborough 

160 

Bangor                             213 

Bridgeport 

140 

Batavia                                69 

Brock's  Monument 

51 

Bath  (Maine}                 211 

Brookfield 

184 

(N.  H.}                   165 

Brooklyn  (N.  Y.) 

12 

(N.  F.)                      13 

Buffalo" 

66 

Battle  of  Behmis's 

Bunker's  Hill 

177 

Heights              75,  7K 

Burgoyne's  (Gen.}  Ex 

Bennington                     77 

pedition 

79 

Bloody  Brook              158 

Battle  Ground 

77 

Bridgewater,  or  Lun- 

Quarters 

81 

dv's  Lane                    57 

Burlington  (Vt.)    107, 

164 

Bunker's  Hill               177 

Caldwell 

9Q 

22 

248 


INDEX. 


Canada,  GeneralRe- 

Falls. 

marks  on 

60 

Ati  Sable 

108 

Canals. 

Baker's 

140 

Blackstone  Canal 

174 

Bellows 

160 

Erie 

31 

Carthage 

46 

Farmington 

143 

Catsk;ll 

21 

Ohio 

68 

Glenn's 

89 

WeJiand 

57 

Cohoes 

31 

Canal  Boat,  Descrip 

Little 

36 

tion  of 

28 

Miller's 

140 

Canandaigua 

70 

Montmorency 

133 

Cape  Diamond 

129 

Niagara 

50 

Carthage 

46 

Rochester 

46 

Catskill 

21 

South  Hadley 

154 

Mountains 

21 

Trenton 

39 

Caughnawage 

34 

Turner's 

159 

Cemeteries  (AT.  F.)   11 

»   12 

Fishkill 

20 

"           Mt.  Auburn 

179 

Flushing 

12 

Charlestown  (Mass.) 

177 

Franconia 

165 

(N.  H.) 

161 

Forts. 

Coal  Mines 

227 

Adams 

172 

Cincinnati 

222 

Anne 

138 

Cleaveland 

68 

Clinton 

16 

Cohoes  Falls 

31 

Crown  Point 

105 

Colleges. 

Edward 

139 

Amherst 

157  ' 

George 

93 

Brown 

174 

Griswold 

167 

Hamilton 

:J9 

Herkimer 

38 

Union 

32 

Lee 

14 

Washington 

150 

Miller 

140 

Yale 

142 

Montgomery 

16 

Connecticut  River 

145 

Niagara 

63 

Dedham 

174 

Oswego 

64 

Deerfield 

158 

Erie 

61 

Dobb's  Ferry 

15 

Putnam 

17 

Dorchester  Heights 

178 

Say  brook 

145 

Eas*.  Canada  Creek 

35 

Stanwix 

40 

East  Han  ford 

152 

Ticonderoga 

99 

East  River 

141 

Trumbull 

166 

Education  in  N.  York 

86 

Washington 

14 

Essex  (Conn.) 

147 

William  Henry 

95 

Fairfield 

141 

Gates'  (Gen.)  Camp 

77 

INDEX. 


249 


Gen  eseo 

69         Western                        60 

Geneva 

71 

Lancaster                         166 

Glenn's  Falls 

89 

Laprairie                          113 

Gravesend 

13 

Lebanon  Springs              24 

Greenfield 

159 

Lewiston                           49 

Greenwich 

141 

Lexington                         185 

Gulf  Road                   162-3 

Litlle  Falls                         36 

HaHdam 

147 

Lock  port                            48 

Hadley 

157 

Long  Branch                      13 

Hampton 

205 

Lorette                             135 

Hanover 

164 

Lowell                              187 

Harlem 

14 

M'Crea's  Murder            139 

Hartford  (Conn.) 

149 

Marbleliead                    205 

Hatfield 

157 

Middletown                      148 

Haverhill  (N.  H.) 

165 

Military    Academy- 

Herkimer 

38 

West  Point                    18 

Highlands 

16 

Minerals  of  New-York     85 

History  of  N.  York     1] 

,  32 

Conn.           143 

Vermont 

163 

Mohawk  river                   31 

Mass.           177, 

180 

Montpelier                      163 

Hudson 

2* 

Montreal                          114 

Hydrostatic  Locks 

30 

Mount  Holyoke              155 

Indians. 

Hope                   172 

Mohogans            169, 

171 

Vernon              218 

Pequods 

168 

Nahant                             179 

Senecas 

69 

Newburgh                          20 

Tuscaroras 

49 

Newburyport                    205 

Jacques  Girtier 

125 

New-  Haven                      142 

Johnson  (Sir  Wm.) 

34 

New-Lebanon  Springs     24 

Johnstowiv 

34 

New-London                    166 

Junction 

31 

Newport                           172 

K<  nnebunk 

207 

Niagara  Falls  from  Ame 

Kingston 

21 

rican  side                       50 

Kosciusko's  Retreat 

18 

Canada  side                  52 

Lachine 

119 

Northampton                   155 

Lakes. 

Oijdensburgh                      65 

Cayuga 

72 

Ohio                                  221 

Champlain            99, 

137 

Oneida                                 41 

Erie                               60 

i  67 

Orange  Springs                  13 

George             88,  90 

,  97 

Oswego                                64 

Ontario 

63 

Canal                                42 

Saratoga 

85 

Ox  Bow                          165 

Seneca 

71  J 

INDEX, 


Palisadoes 

13 

Burning 

6-5,  79 

Pawtucket 

174 

New  Lebanon 

24 

Pine  Orchard 

21 

New-York 

85 

Pittsburgh 

222 

Orange 

13 

Plains  of  Abraham 

131 

Saratoga 

83 

Plattsburgh 

103 

Suffield 

153 

Plymouth 

180 

Stillwater 

74 

Port  Kent 

108 

Stonington 

168 

Portland 

207 

Stony  Point 

16 

Portsmouth 

20G 

Syracuse 

42 

Poughkeepsie 

21 

Table  Rock 

53 

Prisons,  (State) 

Tappan 

15 

Connecticut 

149 

Tarrytown 

16 

New-York              76 

,  72 

Thames  River 

169 

Providence 

173 

Three  Rivers 

123 

Quebec 

126 

Toronto 

60 

Queenstown 

51 

Route  to  Saratoga 

74 

Rapids  of  Niagara 

54 

Troy 

29 

Richelieu 

124 

Utica 

38 

Rensselaerwyck 

28 

Valley  of  St.  Lawrence     60 

Ridge  Road 

48 

Verplanck's  Point 

16 

Rockaway 

ID 

Virginia  Springs 

219 

Saco 

207 

Walpole  (N.  H.) 

160 

Sackett's  Harbour 

65 

Washington 

215 

St.  John's 

110 

Waterford 

74 

St.  Lawrence         113, 

121 

Wehawken 

13 

Salem 

204 

Welland  Canal 

58 

Saliria 

43 

Welles 

206 

Salt  Spring 

44 

West  Point 

17,  18 

Saratoga 

83 

Wethewfield  (Con.) 

149 

Saugerties 

21 

Whirlpool 

52 

Saybrook 

145 

Whitehall 

137 

Schenectady               32 

33 

White  River 

162 

Schoharie  Creek 

34 

William  Henry 

122 

Schooley's   Mountain 

Windsor  (Con.) 

153 

Springs 

13 

(Ver.) 

162 

Shaker  Village 

26 

Wiscasset 

211 

Sing  Sing 

16 

Wolfe's  Core 

132 

Sorel  Village 

122 

Worcester 

152 

South  Hadley 

154 

York  (Maine) 

207 

Springs. 

Ballston 

82 

THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


ASSESSED* FOR"^  U"*'  ^ '  *» 


